[News] Drama, Movies, Actors & Actresses

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August 23, 2010

Kim Tae Hee: ‘Since the hit IRIS, I Feel Greedy about Success’

"I did not care much about the number of viewers and the viewer ratings before, but as the drama ‘IRIS’ gained huge success, I began to feel greedy about being successful.” -Kim Tae Hee

At the production presentation of the movie “Grand Prix” (to be released on September 16) held at Megabox in Dongdaemun on August 19, the female protagonist Kim Tae Hee revealed both the pressure about the movie’s success and her desire to be successful. Kim Tae Hee said, “Usually I become very comfortable after I finish filming, but this time, I sometimes became nervous and worried, and it meant that I might be feeling pressure about this movie.”

In “Grand Prix,” the main protagonist is a female jockey, Joo Hee (Kim Tae Hee), who has lost her confidence due to an accident that happened during a horse race. She gave up everything and went to Jeju Island, and there she met Woo Seok (Yang Dong Geun), who had lived with similar emotional scars. She became encouraged by his help and challenged herself again by participating in the biggest horse racing championship.

Director Yang Yoon Ho, who produced the movie “Holiday,””Fighter in the Wind,” and “Libera Me” and the drama “IRIS,” directed the movie.

Kim Tae Hee said that she took part in this kind of movie, in which the female protagonist leads the whole story, for the first time, and after beginning filming, he had felt more pressure than she expected. Kim added that she did not analyze the character thoroughly; instead, she met with female jockeys and listened to their stories about how they live. She said, “As they have a job living together with animals, they seemed to have an innocent and pure spirit. I tried my best to express their spirit as much as possible.”

She revealed that she had been afraid of riding horses before beginning to film, but with luck, she had not fallen from a horse. She said, “While I filmed the movie with a horse for four to five months, I could realize the attractiveness of the horse. I want to keep riding horses in the future.”

About the question asking when the most sparkling moment was for her, she answered, “I have never thought that I shine brightly. But, if I look back upon the past, I can realize that it was such a valuable and happy time. From now on, I want to seize the every moment of my happy and valuable life and want to feel the moment 100 percent.”

Actor Lee Joon Ki had initially been cast for the character Woo Seok, but as he had to join the army, Yang Dong Geun took the role instead. The director Yang Yoon Ho explained that as the actor had been changed, the scenes where the man and woman meet had to be almost entirely changed.

For actor Yang Dong Geun, who had been discharged from the army in March, the movie “Grand Prix” is the first work in which he appears after making a comeback. When he was in the army, he moved his unit from the military band to the Defense Media Agency for Public Information Service, and hosted a radio program entitled “Comfort Train.” He said, “While I was in the army, I really wanted to act. I can say that it was a huge desire for acting. It was very funny because I had complained by saying ‘I do not want to work. Do I have to quit this job as an actor?’ before I joined the army.”

Source: KBS Global

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August 23, 2010

8-month pregnant Ko So-young still looking stylish

Ko So-young, in her eighth month of pregnancy, caught the eyes of many fans as she shot a TV commercial alongside her husband Jang Dong-gun.

According to cable channel Y-STAR’s “Star News,” this celebrity couple was chosen to represent a new line of luxurious home appliances released by “L” company. The two shot the ad at a set in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do.

Ko arrived at the set, wearing black hot pants and sunglasses, not usual attire for someone eight months pregnant, and proved herself, once again, to be a fashion icon.

Rumors have it that Ko stayed after she finished shooting to encourage Jang, who came to the set later.

Jang was seen wearing a black hat, black sunglasses, and a big white bag, which matched Ko’s outfit.

Scenes from the couple’s TV ad aired on Y-STAR’s “Star News” at 11 a.m. on Monday.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

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August 23, 2010

Korean 'Tomorrow' gets Venice screening

Remake of John Woo classic invited to honor director

By Park Soo-mee

SEOUL -- "A Better Tomorrow," the Korean remake of John Woo's 1986 action film of the same name, was invited to the Venice International Film Festival next month as part of the screenings to highlight Woo's winning of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award.

The Korean remake is directed by Song Hae-seong (“Failan”) and stars Song Seung-heon as the role of Chow Yun-fat in the original, and Cho Han-seon as the film’s traitor.

“A Better Tomorrow," the story of a cruel twist of fate between brothers, was a mega-hit action film that had a tremendous influence on Hong Kong action cinema. The film virtually triggered the interest in Hong Kong films in Korea. Woo participated in the Korean remake as producer.

Source: hollywoodreporter.com

Korean Films Invited To International Film Festivals

It's been confirmed! Two Korean films were invited to two big international film festivals this year!

The film, "The Invincible", starring some of the top Korean actors -- Joo Jin-mo, Song Seung-heon, Kim Gang-woo, and Cho Han-seok -- has been officially invited to the Venice International Film Festival. This is one of the biggest film festivals in the world and the Korean project will be proudly shown on September 2 at 10 PM (local time) for this year's 67th run (September 1-11).

The story is about two brothers who were separated and later meet as a cop and the leader of a drug and human trafficking gang. The action flick hits theatres in Korea on September 16th.

The film is a remake of "A Hero's True Colors", directed by Oh Woo-sam. Oh was named this year's winner of the Venice International Film Festival's Life-Time Achievement Award. Thus "The Invincible" was invited as a retrospective on Oh's earlier piece.

As if that wasn't enough, it's also been confirmed that "I Saw The Devil" (directed by Kim Ji-woon) was not only invited to the Toronto International Film Festival, but to the 58th San Sebastian International Film Festival being held in Spain this year.

The San Sebastian International Film Festival is the biggest Spanish film festival and will be held from September 17-25th. The various award sections include the Gold Shell (given to the best project), Silver Shell (one given for best director, best starring actor, and the best starring actress), Judge's Pick, and the Filming Award.

Source: KBS Global

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August 23, 2010

"Slave Hunters" top 'Hallyu' content at Seoul Drama Awards

Jessica Kim

Official logo for Seoul International Drama Awards 2010 [seoul Drama Awards]

Last year's smash hit MBC TV series "The Slave Hunters" will receive the most recognitions for its contribution to the 'Hallyu,' or Korean Wave, at this year's Seoul International Drama Awards (SDA).

The Seoul Drama Awards Organizing Committee announced through a press conference on Friday that the drama itself, its producer Gwak Jeong-hwan and the show's main star Jang Hyuk played the largest role in contributing to the spread of Korean content overseas.

Lee Byung-hun, who played the main lead in last year's drama "IRIS," was also chosen for the honor while actresses Ko Hyun-jung and Han Hyo-joo will jointly be recognized for their roles in "Queen Seon-deok" and "Brilliant Legacy," respectively. Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-youn will be distinguished for their efforts as writers for "Queen Seon-deok."

The SDA, into its fifth year, established the 'Special Prizes for Korean Wave' segment for the first time this year, handing out honors in five categories including production, producer, writer, actor and actress. Among Korean dramas shown between April of last year to April this year and exported to more than ten countries, the committee drew up a short list composed of recommendations by the Corea Drama Production Association(CODA), Korean Television Actors Association, and Korean TV & Radio Writers Association.

The committee then produced its results based on a survey on close to five hundred foreign and domestic journalists, as well as foreign buyers. The awards will be handed to the respective winners at the SDA ceremony on September 10. The event will be part of eleven days of festivities which includes performances of drama soundtracks, a conference on international content and a forum on East Asian writers.

A total of 172 dramas from 43 countries submitted their entries to this year's SDA, the largest to date.

Separately, a popularity vote is currently underway online in which fans can pick their favorite Asian actor and actress through the websites of Yahoo! Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan.

The winners of their respective countries will claim their prizes at the awards ceremony next month.

Jessica Kim jesskim@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 23, 2010

Kim Hyun-joong wraps up "Boys Over Flowers" reunion

Reporter: Lucia Hong Editor: Jessica Kim

Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong at the "Boys Over Flowers" reunion in Tokyo, Japan held at the Tokyo International Forum on August 21. [KEYEAST]

Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong successfully wrapped up the "Boys Over Flowers" reunion over the weekend, according to his agency KEYEAST on Monday.

KEYEAST announced that Kim recently returned to Korea after meeting with over 10,000 fans for the "Boys Over Flowers" reunion in Osaka and Tokyo on August 18 and 21, respectively, with fellow cast mates Ku Hye-sun, Kim Bum and Kim Jun.

At the event held at the Tokyo International Forum, Kim Hyun-joong told fans of incidents from behind-the-scenes of "Boys Over Flowers" as well as his upcoming drama MBC's "Naughty Kiss." He also held a special individual performance where he sang and danced for the audience.

An industry official in Japan said, "Kim is the current generation's Hallyu star and since he will be starring as the male lead in 'Kiss,' which is originally based on a Japanese comic, I am interested in his future projects as an actor and singer in Korea and Japan as well as other Asian countries. "

Kim, 23, made his debut as a member of the boy band SS501. In late-June, he signed an exclusive contract with KEYEAST, whose major shareholder is Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon.

Kim rose to fame as one of the members of F4 on the hit TV series "Boys Over Flowers" and is currently shooting the Korean adaptation of the comic "Itazura na Kiss," opposite actress Jung So-min. The show will go on air starting September 1.

Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong performs at the "Boys Over Flowers" reunion in Tokyo, Japan held at the Tokyo International Forum on August 21. [KEYEAST]

Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 23, 2010

Gong Yoo meets with 5,000 fans during drama promotion

Reporter : Lucia Hong Editor : Jessica Kim

Korean actor Gong Yoo at the "Coffee Prince 1.5th Shop IN United States of Odaiba" at Odaiba in Tokyo on August 22. [N.O.A Entertainment]

Korean actor Gong Yoo held a promotional event in Japan for hit TV series "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince" over the weekend, according to his agency N.O.A Entertainment on Monday.

N.O.A announced that the actor met with about 5,000 fans for the drama event held by Fuji TV called "Coffee Prince 1.5th Shop IN United States of Odaiba" at Odaiba in Tokyo on August 22. He performed song "I Love You" by veteran singer Han Dong-jun, spoke about filming the show and acted out his love confession scene from the drama with a fan.

An official from N.O.A explained that Gong Yoo's fan base increased after the drama's showing in Japan, with more male fans and those in their 10s and 20s in particular. "I want to sincerely thank all the Japanese fans who came to the fan meeting. I am extremely happy that we were able to spend this time together even under the hot weather," Gong Yoo was quoted as saying, adding that he is glad that it was a great opportunity to reignite people's interest in "Coffee Prince."

The actor will be returning to Korea tomorrow after his appearances on Fuji TV's live variety program "Warrate Iitomo!" and on radio talk shows Mnet Japan, BS Broadcast and Rainbow FM.

"Coffee Prince," which first aired in Korea three years ago, made its premiere in Japan on August 11 as part of Fuji TV's "Hallyu Alpha Summer Festival." The broadcaster is scheduled to air the drama "One Fine Day" in October which also stars Gong Yoo.

Born Gong Ji-cheol, Gong Yoo made his debut with a role in KBS' TV series "School 4" in 2001. He appeared in more than a handful of dramas and films including "My Tutor Friend," "S Diary" and "She's On Duty." He rose to fame throughout Asia as the male lead in the SBS' drama "Hello My Teacher" (2005) and in "The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince" with actress Yoon Eun-hye.

Gong Yoo is currently preparing for the tentatively titled "First Love" alongside actress Lim Soo-jung.

Korean actor Gong Yoo at the "Coffee Prince 1.5th Shop IN United States of Odaiba" at Odaiba in Tokyo on August 22 with about 5,000 fans. [N.O.A Entertainment]

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

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August 23, 2010

Korea-Japan 100 years on (10)

Variety in content is key to success in Japan

For more than 15 years Hoon Kim, a creative director for a London-based advertising agency, has been a self-described “fanboy” of all things related to Japanese pop culture.

From movies, music, television dramas, to even collecting vintage Japanese print art from the 1960s and ’70s, the 30-year-old has been an avid consumer of all things Japanese. This is something not a lot of Koreans would like to admit, but fanatics like Kim are quite common.

To illustrate the scope of his obsession, Kim has more than 200 comic books, or manga, as they are called, hundreds of J-pop records and films on DVD, a scrapbook full of award-winning graphic art from decades past, and “about 80 gigs” of downloaded Japanese television shows, also known as J-Doromas, archived on his computer.

“Back in high school I had to rent them on these ghetto VHS bundles from our neighborhood video store,” Kim said. “The quality used to be horrendous because the woman who ran the store would tape new episodes over old ones over and over again -- I’ve got technology to thank now for having easy access to these shows, because they’re all available for download online in high definition.”

Long before the term “Hallyu” was coined and packaged by the local press, a legion of fanatics obsessed with Japanese popular culture like Kim have been around that injected billions into the pockets of its neighbor’s entertainment purveyors.

So popular were they that the huge demand spawned a black market, which Asian consumers were more than happy to feed -- turning it into a multi-billion dollar piracy machine throughout Asia. The consensus has been, for the cutting edge in fashion trends, music, anime, comic books, Japan has always set the tone for the entire Asian region.

So what makes pop-culture from Japan so attractive to people like Kim?

“The stories that come out of that country are very unique and different from what you usually see,” he said. “You get to learn and pick up interesting nuances that are obviously exclusive to their culture and way of living that give their products texture. They’re not just copying Western popular culture. They might be inspired and influenced by it, but they never emulate.”

In 2002, a modest budgeted KBS2 television drama “Winter Sonata” swept through Japan and the rest of Asia with its tale of lost love. Its plot was simple, straight forward, and firmly rooted in the classic melodrama genre headlined by two picture-perfect actors in Bae Yong-joon and leading lady Choi Ji-woo.

The two would go on to become the mascots for the beginning of the so-called Korean Wave.

The series was a ratings bonanza and its large viewer-ship in Japan opened the flood gates of an endless stream of press coverage by Korean media. But in reality, much of its publicity had been centered on ratings figures, while a glaring fact had been ignored -- the average demographic of the show’s viewers were mostly women well into their 40s.

Despite carrying a narrow range in its target audience, Korean headlines went ahead and loudly emblazoned their pages declaring how the Korean Wave had hit Japan hard. Subsequent shows like “Jewel in the Palace” in 2003 starring Lee Young-ae parlayed the momentum that began with the Bae Yong-joon tearjerker for several more years.

Its actors milked the notoriety gained from the two shows until, inevitably, people got bored.

The Korean Wave had turned out exactly the way the cynics had predicted with a sharp decline in recent years, due to a lack of “killer content,” a term label-happy pundits have coined. “The decline of the Korean Wave can be attributed to our industry being insistent on relying on the popularity of its stars, rather than relying on the strength of our cultural content,” said Lee Ho-jae, writer-director of last year’s sleeper hit “The Scam,” which also starred late actor and popular Hallyu star Park Yong-ha.

“Film studios and broadcasters are responsible as well, because they treated the phenomenon exactly as its moniker implied -- like a fad, and they moved fast to squeeze it for everything it had.

“Fact is, they’ve run out of ideas.” The drought in original stories has affected the local industry so much, producers have begun to adapt previously published or televised material from Japan. Last year’s ratings juggernaut “Boys over Flowers” for example, was based on the Japanese manga of the same name.

Fukada Kyoko (left) and Won Bin star in the Korea-Japan television

co-production “Friends” in 2002. MBC, TBS

The last Korean television series to have moderate success in Japan was “Spring Waltz” -- the last of the four seasons series. The show recorded a meager 5 percent viewership in its time-slot -- a far cry from the 30 percent “Winter Sonata” recorded when it first aired in Japan.

“Damo,” another period piece that was touted as the next “Jewel in the Palace” also failed to ignite much excitement in Japan, notching just 5 percent. Industry experts say the lack of demand for Korean television dramas has been due to the decline in their quality.

Korean Wave stalwarts Bae Yong-joon (left) and Choi Ji-woo in a

promotional still for the hit “Winter Sonata.” KB

One of the common reasons noted by industry pundits is the rise in actors’ fees, which they say has taken the focus away from content and more toward using the power of celebrity to sell their product.

“In 2002, an A-list television star earned about 5 million won per episode, but according to 2007 industry standards, top actors get paid 10 times that amount,” said Moon Hyo-jin, an expert advisor for the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange and editor of the book “Hallyu Forever.” “Because television producers placed all of their bets on their stars to draw in investment and sales to overseas Asian markets, there’s been a steep decline in the quality of content.”

Moon says that television production companies specializing in large budget dramas such as Kim Jong-hak Productions (“Beethoven Virus,” “The Legend”) have been bleeding red to the tune of 38 billion won in 2007 and 740 million won in 2008. Moon says the lack of variety in the stories that are told in Korean television dramas and films have also had a significant impact.

“Foreign buyers are fed up with Korean dramas with plots that usually involve extra-marital affairs, betrayal, birth secrets etc., which form the foundation of most storylines in Korean television dramas,” he said. “A lot of these production companies also acquire advances from overseas buyers solely based on the stars that have agreed to headline the project, even before there’s a completed script.” “This type of sales-first mentality hasn’t helped in creating quality content. It’s simply no use to have a popular star to anchor a project if the material is devoid of a compelling story.”

In the grim state of the Korean television industry, misery loves company, as overseas interest in Korean films has been in decline. According to reports from this year’s edition of the Cannes International Film Festival, only a handful of Korean films were sold to overseas distributors at the film market during the event in May.

Of them, Kim Ji-woon’s western, “The Good, The Bad, and the Weird,” was sold to distributors in France and the U.K., while Kim Ki-duk’s “Breath” was sold in the U.S. and the U.K. They were the only two films foreign distributors purchased. Meanwhile, sales to Japan have decreased an alarming 82.8 percent compared to last year, due in large part to a loss of faith by Japanese distributors in the monetary value of Korean films.

Proving that this wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction by the distributors, helping their rationale were films such as the Jang Dong-gun action “Typhoon,” Bae Yong-joon’s “April Snow,” and Kwon Sang-woo’s “Running Wild” that failed to generate enough revenue at the Japanese box office.

In stark contrast, Japanese films have recently been making headway into the local market. In only the second half of this year, 28 Japanese films have been distributed in limited release -- almost double that of the 15 released in 2009.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Korean entertainment industry, however.

At the pop music front, the state of the Korean Wave is less grim as bands such as TVXQ and SS501 have been burning up the Japanese Oricon charts. Recent singles by both bands have scored No. 1 and No. 5, respectively, while veteran crooner Shin Seung-hoon has been gaining popularity.

In Korea, J-pop, or Japanese pop music, has been steadily picking up momentum, too. Last November, five-member J-pop idol boy band Arashi held their first concert to a sold out show in Seoul at the Olympic Hall of Olympic Park. Media reports described the packed show as something of a spectacle, with legions of screaming teenaged fans singing along word for word to the band’s songs.

How can Korean pop-culture remain relevant internationally?

Writer-director Lee stresses that variety as the key.

“The reason Japan’s pop culture continues to thrive and has remained relevant for such a long time is due to the sheer volume and variety of content available -- they have something for everyone,” Lee said.

“Korea is more than capable of creating content on par with Japan, but because there isn’t much demand in material considered outside the mainstream, there is no variety -- everything is the same, created in the same mold as say shows like ‘Winter Sonata’ and ‘A Jewel in the Palace.’ The reason for this, I think, has more to do with the size of our market and the Korean consumers’ unwillingness to be open-minded. In Japan, there is enough demand for content that falls within a wide range of sub-cultures, and I believe that is why their offerings will always be in demand.”

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

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August 23, 2010

Teen entertainers suffer infrigement on human rights

By Kang Shin-who

Six in 10 teenage female entertainers said young people in the industry have been forced by their agencies to reveal certain parts of their bodies to sexually appeal to viewers during their performances, according to a survey by the Ministry of Gender and Family.

The ministry said 56.1 percent of the surveyed actresses and female singers were asked to lose weight. At the same time, nearly 15 percent of them were encouraged to have plastic surgery.

The ministry sampled a total of 88 male and teenager female entertainers or hopefuls and held one-on-one interviews with them between July 21 and Aug. 5. “This survey showed entertainers’ basic human rights have been seriously infringed on,” said Gender and Family Minister Paik Hee-young. “Based on the latest survey, we will prepare diverse countermeasures to protect teen entertainers’ basic rights.”

About 9 percent of the respondents said they had to do sexually-suggestive performances on stage or in the studio such as caressing, embracing and kissing. About 5 percent of them said they were exposed to obscene conversations.

The survey found that 36 percent of the 39 entertainers aged 18 and younger work more than eight hours a day and 10.3 percent of them work more than 40 hours per week. In particular, 30.8 percent of them said they experienced more than 14 hour-working days.

The ministry also questioned 85 students in the entertainment field and nearly half of them skipped more than half of their classes per week during last semester.

Source: kswho@koreatimes.co.kr

One out of 10 young entertainers told to get plastic surgery

SEOUL, Aug. 23 (Yonhap) -- More than one out of every 10 young entertainers is advised to receive plastic surgery and more than half of them are told to lose weight, a government survey showed Monday.

The survey of 103 entertainers aged between 9 and 24, about evenly divided between male and female, found levels of sexualization on minors in the entertainment industry, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said.

Among the 88 respondents who are younger than 19, some 56 percent said they had been recommended to lose weight to become a star. Some 15 percent were advised to get plastic surgery.

Also, 60 percent of the female respondents younger than 19 said they had been forced to expose part of their body against their will. Some 36 percent of the respondents younger than 19 said they worked more than 8 hours a day. Some 10 percent worked more than 40 hours a week, while 41 percent have worked at night or on weekends, which is prohibited by law.

Among elementary, middle and high school students, 48 percent said they had to skip class for more than a week during one semester. Some 40 percent felt they were deprived of their right to study. The survey was conducted through snowballing sampling, in which one respondent recommended his or her friend to participate.

Gender and Family Minister Paik Hee-young expressed concern about the survey results and said her ministry will try to prepare guidelines on young entertainers. "We are trying to draw measures against the issue of sexualization of teen entertainers, as there seems to be a number of problems as have been expected," she told reporters.

Source: hkim@yna.co.kr yonhapnews.co.kr

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August 23, 2010

Kim Ah-joong tapped as heroine in US-China film

Jessica Kim

Actress Kim Ah-joong [Heren]

Korean actress Kim Ah-joong has been cast as the heroine of a 20 billion won US-China joint production, according to her agency Trophy Entertainment.

Trophy announced through a press release on Saturday that the 27-year-old actress will star in sports adventure film "Amazing" about developing an Internet virtual-reality basketball game.

Kim, playing the role of the female lead who dreams to become the world's best Internet game developer, will play the love interest of Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming of series "The Return of the Condor Heroes" who will take on the chief technology officer of the world's top Internet game developing company.

Famed US drama "Ugly Betty" star Eric Mabius has also been cast for the movie and current and former NBA players including Magic Johnson, Dwight Howard, Yao Ming and Carmelo Anthony are expected to make appearances as well.

Produced by Shanghai Film Group, the movie will be directed by Sherwood Hu of the much-lauded 2007 picture "Prince of the Himalayas." "Amazing," set to premiere in the US and China during the first half of next year, went into shoot starting August 15.

Kim, who debuted in 2004 through a television commercial, gained fame throughout Asia with her lead role in smash hit film "200 Pounds Beauty" in 2006.

Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 24, 2010

Jackie Chan appointed honorary chair of Asia Song Festival

Jessica Kim

From left, Hong Kong star Jackie Chan and Korean actor Lee Min-ho pose during a photocall of a press conference

for the 7th Asia Song Festival held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Seoul, South Korea on August 23, 2010. [Jackie Chan's Official Website]

Hong Kong star Jackie Chan has been appointed honorary chairman of the 2010 Asia Song Festival (ASF) which brings together top artists from around the region to Korea every year.

The 56-year-old actor, director and producer showed up at The Grand Hyatt hotel in Seoul yesterday, attending the commissioning ceremony for the event to be hosted jointly by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE), the Seoul Metropolitan Government and UNICEF Korea.

Jackie Chan has long been known for his charity work including serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UNICEF for several years now and running his own charity foundation.

Korean actor Lee Min-ho, Goodwill Ambassador for Korea's UNICEF, also turned up at the ceremony, promising to promote the festival as a way of spreading the values of hope and sharing. Numerous top singers from around Asia have taken part in the ASF so far such as Korea's Super Junior, Big Bang and Girl's Generation, Japan's Backt and mihimaru GT, China's Chris Lee and Taiwan's Show Luo at last year's fest.

The first line-up of artists announced so far for this year's ASF includes Korean singer BoA, China's Jane Zhang, Taiwanese singer and actor Joe Cheng and Malaysian singer-songwriter Michael Wong.

The event will be held as Asia's one and only international charity concert hosted jointly with the UNICEF as well as being an official cultural event held in celebration of the G20 summit to be held in Korea in November.

All proceeds from online sales of UNICEF's charity doll AWOO and funds raised from the concert will be donated to children in flood-stricken areas in Pakistan.

The 7th ASF will take place at the Olympic Park in Seoul on October 23 and be attended by 15 teams of artists from seven countries around Asia.

Jessica Kim jesskim@ <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

August 24, 2010

Korea's Lee Min-ho (right) and Hong Kong's Jackie Chan pose at a press conference in Seoul on Monday for the 2010 Asia Song Festival on Oct. 23. Chan was named the honorary chair of the organizing committee.

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

Other related update

Jackie Chan to promote Asia Song Festival koreatimes.co.kr

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August 20, 2010

'Chicogrande' to open San Sebastian

Kim's 'Devil' joins fest's competish section

By JOHN HOPEWELL, EMILIO MAYORGA

MADRID -- Mexican helmer Felipe Cazals' "Chicogrande" will open the 58th San Sebastian Film Festival.

Part of Mexico's commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, "Chicogrande" is set against Pancho Villa's unexpected 1916 raid on New Columbus, N.M. outpost, and U.S. Gen. Pershing's punitive expedition into Mexico to punish Villa, a divisive figure whom some regard as one of the heroes of the Mexican Revolution and others as an unprincipled cattle thief.

Cazals' latest film, which plays in competition, follows on the Canana-produced omnibus feature "Revolucion," first seen at Berlin, which offers bracingly revisionist takes on the Revolution.

The biggest film event in the Spanish-speaking world, San Sebastian has also added three more films to its main competition: "I Saw the Devil," Liu Hao's "Addicted to Love" and Sophie Heldman's "Colors in the Dark."

A hard-boiled thriller, "Devil" is directed by South Korea's Kim Jee-woon ("A Bittersweet Life"), whose rambunctious spaghetti Western-style "The Good the Bad and the Weird"was a hit at Cannes 2008, establishing Kim as one of Asia's most sought-after helmers.

Both "Addicted" and "Dark" are, curiously, films from young helmers -- Shanghai-born Liu, who won a following with "Two Great Sheep" and "Chen Mo and Meiting," is still only 40, "Dark" is Heldman's first feature. Both pics turn on a growing obsession for the baby boomers: later years' love.

"Addicted" has a retired worker attempting to reignite his first love with a woman who now suffers from Alzheimer's; "Dark" toplines Senta Berger ("Cross of Iron") and German New Wave stalwart Bruno Ganz as loving but aging and suicidal spouses.

Fest runs Sept. 17-25.

Source: variety.com

August 24, 2010

"I Saw the Devil" invited to compete at San Sebastian film fest

Reporter: Lucia Hong Editor: Jessica Kim

Movie poster of thriller "I Saw the Devil" [showbox]

Korean thriller "I Saw the Devil" has been invited to compete under the Official Selection category at the 58th Edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival next month, according to official website of the fest on Tuesday.

"Devil," helmed by famed Korean director Kim Jee-woon, will be competing against 16 other movies by internationally recognized directors for the Golden Shell and Silver Shell awards at the fest to be held at San Sebastian, Spain from September 17 to 25.

The award is approved officially by the International Federation of Film Producers Association, an organization composed with 31 members from 25 of the leading audiovisual production countries, for best cinematography and screenplay.

Critically acclaimed Korean director Bong Joon-ho previously won the Golden Shell award for his 2003 film "Memories of Murder," starring top Korean actors Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung.

While director Kim Jee-woon has attended numerous film festivals for his works such as "A Bittersweet Life" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," this will be the first time attending the Spanish film event.

"Devil," starring Lee Byung-hun who plays a secret agent who plots revenge against a serial killer played by Choi Min-sik, has garnered much attention from both fans in Korea and overseas. Since opening in local theaters on August 12, the pic has attracted over 1.2 million moviegoers which amounts to a gross of about 9.3 billion Korean won.

The films was pre-sold to France, England Taiwan and Turkey during the Cannes film market in May and has also been invited to this year's Toronto International Film Festival under the Special Presentations category, which recognizes major films from famous directors.

Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 24, 2010

'The Slave Hunters' Wins Seoul International Drama Award

The KBS drama “The Slave Hunters” has won the Grand Prize in the category of Hallyu drama, which was a newly established award from this year, in the Seoul International Drama Awards 2010.

The organizing committee of the Seoul International Drama Awards held a press conference in the Seoul Press Center on August 20 and selected the Grand Prize winner among Hallyu dramas, and “The Slave Hunters” was ultimately chosen as the best Hallyu drama. The actor Jang Hyuk, who appeared in “The Slave Hunters,” and the actor Lee Byung Hun, who appeared in the drama “IRIS,” were chosen as the best actors.

The drama “The Slave Hunters” was also awarded in the category of the best director (Kwak Jeong Hwan PD), so the drama made an achievement of winning three awards. Actress Ko Hyun Jung in the MBC drama “The Great Queen Seondeok” and Han Hyo Joo in the SBS drama “Brilliant Legacy” were awarded as the best actresses. And the writers of the drama “The Great Queen Seondeok,” Kim Young Hyun and Park Sang Yeon won the Best Writer awards.

The organizing committee had first decided the nominees among dramas aired from April 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010 (excluding dramas aired in the morning time) considering the recommendations from the Corea Drama Production Association, the Korean Television Actors Association, and the Korean Radio & TV Writers Association, and then they examines those selected nominees, which had been exported to more than ten countries, thoroughly and finally decided the award winners.

Since its first opening in 2005, the Seoul International Drama Awards, the awards ceremony for dramas in all over the world hosted by the organizing committee of the Seoul International Drama Awards and the Korean Broadcasters Association (president Kim In Kyu), was in its sixth year.

For this year’s awards, the biggest number of dramas ever from 43 countries as many as 172 dramas, were entered in this year’s award, the award ceremony will be held at the KBS Hall at 6:35 pm on September 10. The awards will be presented by categorizing as the Drama Category, which will be specified by the awards for Single Drama, Mini-Series, and Drama Series, and the Individual Category, which will select the Best Director, Best Writer, and Best Actors and Actresses, and also the Jury’s Special Awards will be presented.

In the drama category’s awards for mini-series, seven dramas including Korean drama “The Slave Hunters,” Japanese drama “Jin,” American drama “NCIS Season 7,” and English drama “Being Erica Season 2” will compete for the winner. And, the total six dramas including Korean drama “The Great Queen Seondeok,” Chinese drama “The Tomb of Changkoong,” and Spanish drama “Infidelity” have been nominated for the awards in drama series.

In the individual category, seven actors including Lee Byung Hun in the “IRIS,” James Cromwell in the “The Last Days of Lehman Brothers” (England), Mark Harmon in the “NCIS Season 7,” and Julio Chavez in the “Be Kind To Me” (Argentina) have been nominated for the Best Actor award. And, eight actresses including Machiko Ono in the “Gold Fish” (Japan), Abbey Hose in the “Maite Was Here” (the Netherlands), and Adrien Pauly in the “The Killer Queen” (France) have been nominated for the Best Actress award.

The host will prepare additional events, in which fans for the dramas from home and abroad can participate, in the places like the COEX Fountain Square in Samsungdong, Yeouido, and Myungdong from September 1 until September 9, before the award ceremony begins. In the COEX Fountain Square, the sets for the dramas such as “Legend of the Patriots,””The Great Queen Seondeok,” and ”My Girl Friend Gumiho” will be built and the exhibition hall featuring the four award winners of best actors and actresses in the category of Hallyu drama will be operated. In addition, there will be fan meeting event with actors including Kwon Hae Hyo, Park Chul Min, and Lee Han Wui in the same place, and the event, in which the production staff members and the cast members of TV programs including “The Slave Hunters” and “Chitchat of Beautiful Ladies” have a chance to meet fans, will be prepared.

The preview of the famous American drama “NCIS Season 7” and popular Chinese drama “Jin Da Ban” will be held and various concerts were already arranged as well.

Source: KBS Global

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August 24, 2010

Jang Keun-suk eyeing new drama role

Reporter: Park Kun-oucEditor: Jessica Kim

Jang Keun-suk [Asia Economic Daily]

Actor Jang Keun-suk of TV series "Minamishineyo" fame may soon decide on his next small screen role, according to his agency Tree J. Company.

An official with Tree J. spoke to Sports Today over the phone on Monday, saying the actor is "positively looking into" starring in a drama based on famed comic book writer Won Soo-yeon's web-based cartoon whose title is translated into "Mary is Staying Out Overnight."

Won Soo-yeon is the writer of comic series "Full House" whose TV adaptation in 2004 starred Asian pop sensation Rain and top Korean actress Song Hye-kyo. The official emphasized however, that they are "still in the reviewing stages with nothing set as of yet."

The upcoming drama is about a love triangle between a girl who has never been in a romantic relationship before, a vocalist of a death metal group and a Mr. Perfect. It will be the first drama Jang takes on since "Minamishineyo" which went on air late last year and stirred Korea as well as several countries in Asia.

He has taken on "You're My Pet," based on a popular Japanese comic series by Yayoi Ogawa, for his next big screen role as a promising classical ballet dancer who becomes a personal pet for a professional working woman.

Jang will wrap up a six-month long Asia tour in Korea next month.

Reporter: Park Kun-ouc kun1112 @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 24, 2010

Jung Yu-mi to attend 67th Venice International Film Festival

Reporter: Lucia Hong Editor: Jessica Kim

Korean actress Jung Yu-mi [NOA Entertainment]

Korean actress Jung Yu-mi will be attending the 67th Venice International Film Festival next month, according to her agency NOA Entertainment on Tuesday.

NOA announced in a press release that Jung starrer "Oki's Movie" will be screened as the closing film of the Orizzonti Award Ceremony, a category which recognizes films that reveal the new trends in world cinema, on September 11.

The Venice film fest is an annual event which first opened in 1932 as a part of the Venice Biennale, a biennial exhibition and festival for contemporary art. This year's festival will take place from September 1 to 11.

"Oki's Movie," is famed director Hang Sang-soo's eleventh film, about a college student named Oki (Jung) who majors in filmmaking and makes a movie about a young man (Lee Sun-gyun) and older man (Moon Sung-geun ) that she dated.

The cast of "Oki" have previously worked together with director Hong for his short film titled "Lost in the Mountains" in 2009. The actress will be staying in Venice, Italy from September 8 to 11 with director Hong Sang-soo and actor Lee Sun-gyun, where they will be attending various press conferences and receptions during the film fest.

Jung, 28, made her debut in 2004 starring in the film "How To Operate a Polaroid Camera." She has starred in numerous movies including "The Room Nearby" (2008), "Like You Know It All" (2009) and most recently in "My Dear Desperado."

"Oki's Movie" will open in local theaters on September 16.

Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 24, 2010

Lee Junki Reassures Fans Not To Worry About His Injury

Despite a forehead injury, Lee Joonki attended a press conference?for the musical "Voyage of Life"?at the National Theatre in Jangchoong-dong of Seoul on August 24th.?

Lee Joonki starred in the special musical production on its opening day (August 21st) with bandages wrapped around his head. However, despite his apparent injury, he gave the performance his all, receiving quite an applause at the end of the show.

After the show, the actor explained that he had incurred a significant injury during a rehearsal session for the musical. He had bumped his head onto a steel structure practicing just hours before the show. He was rushed to the Seoul National University Hospital where he had to receive 50 stitches. Although this was no minor accident, Lee insisted in performing that night because 98% of the seats were sold out. He felt it was his obligation and duty to deliver for his fans.?

At the press conference, the actor apologized for causing his fans to worry and reassured them that he's taking all the necessary precautions and receiving all the necessary treatments to get better. He also expressed how it caused a lot of stress for him to decide to sit out from the musical on the second performance night (August 22nd). He did state that he'd be back performing his role from here on out and would try his best to give the best possible performance.?

"Voyage of Life" is a musical about the Korean War in November-December of 1950. It was put on to commemorate the 60th anniversary since the war between the two Koreas. Despite the fact that Lee is currently serving his mandatory military sentence, he participated in this special project alongside another A-list Korean actor, Joo Jin-mo.

Source: KBS Global

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August 24, 2010

So Ji-sub to release a photo essay

Reporter: Lucia Hong Editor: Jessica Kim

Korean actor So Ji-sub from his book "The Journey of So Ji-sub" [51K]

Korean actor So Ji-sub will be releasing a photo essay about his travels during the summer of 2010, according to his agency 51K Entertainment on Tuesday.

51K announced that the book titled "The Journey of So Ji-sub" will feature photographs and stories from his summer trip to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and various regions in the Gangwon Province, the eastern region of Korea.

The stories will be of So's past, present and future based on his experiences as an individual rather than an actor under the categories such as' Rest and Travels, '' Freedom, '' Dreams, '' Pain and Remedies, '' Youth and Passion, '' Memories and Deep Thoughts, '' Ours and Mine 'and' Peace and Love. '

The book will also include his encounters with various people such as rapper Tiger JK, novelist Oisoo, cartoonist Park Jae-dong, artists dusicnddilddil and Korea's youngest bird researcher Jung Da-mi.

"The Journey of So Ji-sub" will be released on August 31, while preorders which began yesterday, will be received till August 30 through online bookstore Kyobo Books, Yes24, Interpark and Aladin.

So, 33, is one of the most popular actors in Korea who has appeared in numerous TV dramas and movies since his debut in 1995. He became a household name in Asia with his roles in the 2004 hit TV series "Something Happened in Bali" and "I'm Sorry, I Love You." He is currently starring in MBC's war epic "Road No. 1" alongside Hallyu star Kim Ha-neul and Yoon Kye-sang.

Korean actor So Ji-sub in his book "The Journey of So Ji-sub" [51K]

Reporter: Lucia Hong luciahong @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 24, 2010

Drama fest to offer diversity

By Han Sang-hee

A scene from the Italian drama "Bittersweet"

which will compete for the Best Drama

at the Seoul International Drama Festival.

/ Courtesy of organizers

The Seoul International Drama Festival, to be held from Sept. 1 to 10, will likely provide drama lovers a little bit more than just enjoying the storylines and characters.

First launched in 2006, the annual event will bring various events, showcases and a red carpet event inviting some of the most promising and popular dramas from around the world. From 2006, the festival has made rapid growth in many countries and this year it is embroidered with colorful events. More than 172 works from 43 countries entered the preliminaries, exciting the event organizers and also the jury. "Due to the economic downturn, drama productions have seen a decline, but we still found some interesting works from the United States, England, Ireland and of course, Korea," said programmer Ha Jae-ho during a press conference for the event at the Seoul Press Center.

The Best Drama Awards will be the most competitive category, with 19 works vying for prizes under the short, mini-series and epic sections. Among them, the highest bets are on "NCIS season 7" from the U.S., "JIN" from Japan, "The Summit" from Canada and "The Slave Hunters" and "The Great Queen Seondeok" from Korea. Fierce competition is also expected in the individual sections, which includes Best Producer, Best Writer, Best Actor and Best Actress. Nine producers will compete for the Best Producer prize, including Nick Copus ("The Summit") from Canada, Pascal Chaumel and Anne Giafferi ("Desperate Parents") from France and Brian Kirk ("Father & Son") from Ireland.

Korean drama fans may be a bit disappointed to see that only one local actor made it to the final round of the Best Actor category. Lee Byung-hun from "IRIS" will be competing for the honor, along with fellow actors including Mark Harmon from "NCIS season 7," James Cromwell from "The Last Days of Lehman Brothers" (U.K.) and Dougray Scott from "Father & Son." The Best Actress award will be given to the winner among talented actresses from around the world, such as Adrienne Pauly from French drama "The Killer Queen," Abbey Hoes from "Maite was Here" (Netherlands) and Machiko Ono from "Goldfish" (Japan).

Despite the equal interest in television around the world, it’s inevitable to spot the differences in techniques and time put into the process in drama-making. Nevertheless, the judges agreed that those small differences make the festival even more interesting and give more meaning and reason to the event itself.

"There were many interesting aspects, in terms of cinematography and topics. The most frequently dealt issues were thrillers and crime investigation, but dramas from Europe tend to deal with various issues, such as the emotions and struggles of people leading busy lives in the modern day," Yum Hyeon-seup, drama producer and one of the jury, said. "In terms of scale, Chinese works were noticeable, especially 'The Pleiades,'" he added.

The festival also added a special award dubbed "Representative of Korean Wave (hallyu)," this year, which honors a local drama, actress, actor, director and writer that introduced Korean drama content and popularity. The results for the categories were made at the press event: "The Slave Hunters" was chosen as the Representative Korean Drama along with the Best Director Kwak Hwan-jung; Chang Hyuk and Lee Byung-hun won the actors’ awards; Koh Hyun-jung and Han Hyo-joo the actress’ award and Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-yeon won the Best Writer award for their work on "The Great Queen Seondeok.'

What is a festival without interesting events and interaction?

From Sept.1 to 5, the Seoul International Drama Festival is offering special showcases where fans can walk on drama sets, take photos at photo zones and also try on costumes from popular series. Concerts and fan meetings will also take place, along with a special screening of the competing works. All of the events will be held at COEX, southern Seoul. From Sept. 6 to 9, pop and jazz groups will gather in Myeongdong and put on small concerts, while on Sept. 9, popular singers, including JK Kim Dong-wook and Lee Eun-mi, will perform on the Yeouido Floating Stage and add a jazzy twist to famous drama theme songs.

The final award ceremony will take place at KBS Hall, Sept. 10, and will be broadcast live on MBC.

For more information, visit www.seouldrama.org

Source: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

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August 24, 2010

Kim Hyun-joong "Naughty Kiss" to air in Japan starting Dec

Jessica Kim

Official poster for MBC TV series "Naughty Kiss" [MBC]

SS501 member Kim Hyun-joong starrer "Naughty Kiss" will air in Japan starting December, according to the show's producer on Tuesday.

Park Rae-hyun, in charge of the PR & Promotions team at production company Group 8, told 10Asia over the phone that cable music channel Mnet Japan will broadcast the TV series twice a week in about three months time although additional details have yet to be set.

Park also added that several other countries in Asia are "actively showing interest" in the drama which has been garnering much hype since its casting stages due to its heartthrob male lead.

Kim, already famous as the leader of his popular five-man band and at the height of his career after starring in last year's hit drama "Boys Over Flowers," will play the role of Baek Sung-jo, the all-around Mr. Perfect-type character who ends up falling in love with a girl always getting into trouble, to be played by actress Jung So-min.

Famed director Hwang In-roi will helm the show based on Japanese comic series "Itazura na Kiss," which sold over 27 million copies in Japan and has been made into animation in Japan and a top-rated television drama in Taiwan.

Hwang, who previously directed "Goong" (MBC, 2006) and "The Return of Iljimae" (MBC, 2009), will team with noted television writer Go Eun-nim for the small screen adaptation of the comic.

The romantic comedy will premiere on public network MBC starting September.

Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 24, 2010

Song Seung-heon to promote show "Fanta-stick"

Reporter: Kang Seung-hun Editor: Jessica Kim

Actor Song Seung-heon [Asia Economic Daily]

Heartthrob Song Seung-heon has been appointed a promotional ambassador of Korean non-verbal theater performance "Fanta-stick." After attending a commissioning ceremony on Thursday, Song will start promoting the Korean traditional musical composed of cultural content representing Korea to audiences throughout Asia.

The show will be composed of various elements representative of past and modern day Korea including b-boying, traditional percussions and martial dancing.

In just three months since its opening, "Fanta-stick" surpassed top-rated performances including "Drawing Show" and "Nanta" in terms of monthly reservations in the non-verbal performance category. "I agreed to promote the show because I would be introducing a good Korean production to many audiences both domestically and internationally with the hopes that it would become a global cultural content," Song was quoted as saying.

Song has been one of the most popular 'Hallyu,' or Korean Wave stars, known in the Asian region for his roles in smash hits "Autumn Tale" (KBS2, 2000), "Summer Scent" (KBS2, 2003) and "East of Eden "(MBC, 2008).

His film "The Invincible," a Korean remake of the Hong Kong classic "A Better Tomorrow," is set for a release around the Korean Chuseok holidays in late September and is set to make a comeback to the small screen later this year through TV series "My Princess" opposite top Korean actress Kim Tae-hee.

Reporter: Kang Seung-hun tarophine @ Editor: Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia

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August 25, 2010

Jung Il-woo to hold fan meeting next month

Jessica Kim

Actor Jung Il-woo [NOA Entertainment]

Korean heartthrob Jung Il-woo will hold a fan meeting on his birthday next month, the first time in two years that the actor will be meeting with his fans.

Jung's agency NOA Entertainment said Wednesday that the event will take place at the Broadhall in Seoul on September 5, the weekend prior to Jung's actual birthdate of September 9. "Jung wanted to spend his 23rd birthday with his fans ...... He is preparing a lot for it to show his fans how thankful he is to them," NOA said.

"I am very excited for the event because I'll meet with my fans for the first time in two years. I'm hoping to spend a warm birthday with them," Jung was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the actor is also planning on holding a fan meeting in Japan in November, the second fan event he will be holding in the country.

Jung became a household name after appearing in the popular MBC sitcom "High Kick!" (MBC, 2006) and has since starred in several other dramas including "The Return of Iljimae" (MBC, 2009) and "My Fair Lady" (KBS2, 2009) alongside actress Yoon Eun-hye.

Jessica Kim jesskim @ <Ⓒ 10Asia All rights reserved> 10Asia