[News] Drama, Movies, Actors & Actresses

[deka_if]

2009.11.23

[REVIEW]

Film "White Night"

From left, actors Ko Soo, Son Ye-jin and Han Suk-kyu attend the press conference for

the film "White Night" at Wangsimni CGV on November 10, 2009.[Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

While the melody of Tchaikovsky's "The Swan Lake" plays sorrowfully in the background, a woman makes love lying on a pure white bed while a man is choking on someone's neck in a dark room in the basement. Although they are distinctively different from each other, the history of their relationship traces back to 14 years ago.

The press conference for film "White Night" (directed by Park Shin-woo), based on Keigo Higashino's best-selling mystery novel ("Byakuyako" in Japanese), was held at Wangshimni CGV on November 10. Due to a horrible incident 14 years ago, Mi-ho (played by Son Ye-jin) and Yo-han (Ko Soo) can never walk outside under the sunlight together but maintain their relationship as lovers. Everytime they commit murder, it is "for our brighter futures", or so they call it. Such murder is something that Dong-soo (Han Suk-kyu), the police officer needs to stop but in the light of the couple, it is a form of love. The TV adaptation of "Byakuyako", starring Asaye Haruka and Yamada Takayuki was a hit in Japan but how much of an appeal will the film adaption, set for release on November 19, have in Korea with its cast Son and Ko?

There exist an array of changes in the movie "White Night" compared to the original novel. The construction building where the young couple experienced the terrible incident is converted into an old vessel in the film. And moreover, Dong-soo undergoes more tragedies than just losing a close colleague. Yet, the film's difference from the original novel or the Japanese TV series is not in such mere changes. While the couple take a step back to protect their love after committing horrible crimes in the book, in the film they have been transformed into scary murderers aiming for a 'mission cleared'. Dashing down dark streets late at night or vomiting is not enough to portray Yohan's deeply rooted guilt. And scenes showing Mi-ho spending time at a cafe silently sipping on tea or her planning tiny conspiracies does not do enough to reveal her inner world.

Director Park has managed to digress so far from his original aim to "come up with a unique movie from a police officer's perspective" that he has created a movie which is neither a melodrama or a mystery but closer to a 'one-man detective story'. As a result, the film "White Night" has simply ended up as another good example that proving how difficult it is for a film to leave a much more significant impact on the viewers than its already-famous original work.

Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr

Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr

Editor: Linda Kim lindakim@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

2009.11.23

[REVIEW]

MBC TV series "Hero" starring Lee Jun-ki

Actor Lee Jun-ki, lead male role of TV series "Hero." [MBC]

'Dae-se Ilbo' is the name of the huge media company that reporter Jin Do-hyuk (played by Lee Jun-ki) at third-rate newspaper 'Yong-duk Ilbo,' has to face up to. While the outcome of the competition between Wednesday and Thursday's prime time dramas is settled to a certain extent, MBC has revealed its hidden card, "Hero." In its premiere episode, the new TV series exerted its full-fledged efforts to build a steady cornerstone for its future run. Do-hyuk has definitely succeeded in shedding the stereotype of a passionate reporter who fights for justice and at the same time Joo Jae-in (Yoon Soy-yi) also effectively displays her charisma as a police officer. Supporting actors, including a team of reporters from 'Monday Seoul' smuggling into the concert of a girl band Kara to produce scandal articles, also revealed their own unique characteristics. And Baik Yoon-shik in particular, leaves a great impression on the viewers through his way of expressing the loneliness of a head gangster after being released from the prison without having to recite that many lines. By keeping the array of incidents concise in first episode and putting more emphasis on showing the unique traits of each character, "Hero" provided sufficient grounds to launch 'Yong-duk Ilbo.' This newspaper company in the TV series will probably survive as a critical media in spite of the threats from the giant 'Dae-se Ilbo.' It be interesting to watch how "Hero" also survives the cut-throat competition against other dramas.

Reporter : Yoonina, TV Critic

Editor: Linda Kim lindakim@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

11-23-2009

Hollywood dominates winter lineup

"Twilight"

Korean filmmakers have every right to be complacent about their new offerings toward the end of the year as the market share of local films was a respectable 60-plus percent between August and October, helped by the strong box-office performances of Korean hit films including "Haeundae" and "Take-off."

The hike in ticket prices in June, led by multiplex operators, is also a boon for many cash-strapped local filmmakers, who have complained bitterly about the dearth of fresh investment funds.

Korean Film Council data also shows that theaters attracted 66.33 million moviegoers in the first 10 months of this year, generating 458.5 billion won in revenue. These figures already surpassed what the local film industry achieved in all of 2008, when it lured 63.54 million viewers and earned 412.6 billion won.

Despite the upbeat performance so far, the outlook in the November-December period is far from rosy. Complacency or not, there is no sign yet of a fierce fight between Korean films and Hollywood blockbusters, as most Korean films in the holiday lineup - except for the highly anticipated "Jeon Woo-chi" - are unlikely to hold up against the onslaught of Hollywood competitors.

Hollywood will offer the big and bombastic - with 10-foot tall aliens, teenage werewolves, British detectives and even ninjas poised to invade cinema screens in the coming months.

Here are some of the most hyped films scheduled this holiday season.

Secret

"Secret," directed by Yoon Jae-gu, focuses on grim, human-fueled mayhem, prompting audiences to weigh several intriguing questions as "why" and "how" instead of "who" and "where."

The film starts with the death of an underground loan shark, a sloppy job by a novice killer. Detective Seong-yeol (Cha Seung-won) swoops on the crime scene, only to find a clue that his wife (Song Yoon-ah) met the man on the day he died.

The plot attempts to add layers when the dead man turns out to be the sibling of a notorious gang leader who embarks on a furious hunt to find the killer before the police do. Seong-yeol's efforts to protect his wife from the whirlwind of chases help maintain a dramatic tension and suspense, while the wife's nonchalant attitude offers a puzzling contrast.

The real secret for the director's success in keeping the suspense at an optimal level is the solid performances of supporting actors including Park Won-sang, Kim In-kwon and Ryu Seung-ryong. "Secret," with a running time of 111 minutes, will hit the local theaters Dec. 3.

Actresses

Korean Wave star Choi Ji-woo, veteran actress Ko Hyun-joung, and "Thirst" heroine Kim Ok-vin might not have been powerful enough for director Lee Jae-yong. For his latest film "Actresses," he has decided to sign on more, and three more top-rated actresses - Yoon Yeo-jeong, Lee Mi-sook, Kim Min-hee - have joined the project.

No wonder that when there was a press conference for the film on Nov. 17, more than 300 reporters and photographers rushed to capture the famous actresses on a single stage - a rare photo op for star-hungry media outlets.

But the result of such high publicity has been mixed at best. There are tons of photos showing the six actresses on major portal news sites, but few articles are devoted to explaining what the movie is about.

What has been revealed so far is that the six actresses will show off "many things," which involve self-respect, charisma, complexes, jealousy, style and desires. They are also locked in "some conflicts" with each other. The setting is a Christmas photo shooting session arranged by the Korean edition of "Vogue," which will be inspiring if you are an avid watcher of silly style programs on cable channels.

But the movie is not about great cinematography - the point here is that six famous actresses have agreed to spare some time to chat together in the same film. "Actresses" is scheduled to hit local theaters on Dec. 10.

Jeon Woo-chi

Director Choi Dong-hoon is a good, if not great, storyteller. He knows how to manipulate scenes in a way that keeps audiences on edge almost to the last minute, when all things begin to unravel to strong dramatic effect. His previous films "The Big Swindle" and "Tazza: The High Rollers" were huge box-office hits and his latest film "Jeon Woo-chi" is also widely expected to perform well when it gets released nationwide on Dec. 23.

Director Choi already sold his film to distributors from 13 different countries at the American Film Market, where he played a five-minute promotional clip. The unprecedented sales result underscores the market potential of storytelling set in Korea, in particular, and Asia in general.

The film is based on traditional Korean characters. Back in the Joseon Dynasty, Jeon Woo-chi (played by Kang Dong-won) is trapped into a painting due to false charges concerning a murder case, and he gets released into modern Korea after a 500-year-long sleep, with a mission to fight against goblins.

No Mercy

"No Mercy," directed by Kim Hyung-joon, is a thriller that will wrap up the Korean movie lineup in 2009, with its release date set on Dec. 31. The casting is notably high-profile: Sul Kyoung-gu, who proved his box-office appeal with a lead role in "Haeundae," and Ryoo Seung-bum, a talented actor known for tweaking conventions on the big screen.

The key storyline involves the confrontation between Lee Seong-ho (Ryoo Seung-bum), a killer, and Kang Min-ho (Sul Kyoung-gu), a renowned autopsy specialist. The plot takes off when Lee kidnaps Kang's daughter and leaves a disturbingly mysterious message.

Lee wants Kang to pull some strings and break rules so that the murderer can escape within three days. In return, Kang's daughter will be saved in his murder spree. But a number of crucial details - motive, background, repercussions - remain carefully guarded until the make-or-break climax, a nice touch for the final day of 2009.

Avatar

Of the various high profile Hollywood releases coming to local cinemas, there's no doubt the must-see-film this winter is James Cameron's long awaited "Avatar."

The hotly anticipated movie marks the return from his 12-year hiatus in this Dances with Wolves meets Joseph Conrad sci-fi epic to be released Dec. 17.

The Academy Award-winning director of the highest grossing box office hit of all time, "Titanic," has been missing in action since 1997 when the big-budget epic - also at the time the costliest film ever made - tugged at the heartstrings of millions of adolescent girls and made international stars out of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

The film went on to sweep the Academy Awards winning 11 of its 14 nominations.

Perhaps burdened with the pressure to follow up with a film that was just as big as his record setting film, Cameron has kept a low profile in the past decade, flying under the radar directing various documentaries and such dubious-quality yet lucrative fare like the Universal Studios Terminator 2 ride.

With "Avatar" the 55-year-old veteran filmmaker returns to his science fiction roots - a genre that catapulted him into the A-list with such revolutionary blockbusters as "Aliens," "Terminator," "Terminator 2," and "The Abyss."

"Avatar" promises to be at the forefront of cutting edge technology by revolutionizing 3-D filmmaking just as "The Abyss" and "Terminator 2" popularized the use of CGI.

The film stars Sam Worthington as a disabled ex-marine who gets a second chance when new technology enables him to take on the form of a Na'avi - a 10-foot tall alien species on the planet Alpha Centauri.

As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he is ordered to infiltrate, scout, and befriend the Na'avi as a spy to help his fellow humans colonize their world.

The planet holds valuable mining resources that are coveted by a government-sponsored corporation and as he becomes more and more assimilated into the Na'avi's way of life, his loyalty becomes torn between the two worlds.

More than ten years in the making,

the film is reported to have incorporated new CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters of the planet Alpha Centauri into photorealistic 3-D imagery that will place moviegoers smack dab in the middle of alien world.

New Moon

No, it's not the sequel to the Michael J. Fox film, "Teen Wolf."

But if you're a teenaged girl, no doubt, you've been eagerly awaiting the continuation of the Twilight saga since the first film grossed over $380 million worldwide.

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" is the sequel to last year's runaway box-office smash, and like its predecessor, is based on the hugely popular best-selling vampire romance novels by American novelist Stephenie Meyer.

The two leads from the first film - Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart - return to portray the lovelorn vampire/human couple Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.

The franchise has now become the new Harry Potter, but more sinister, and with more teenage angst than a John Hughes flick.

Lots of talk has been made of one of the film's newest leads, Taylor Lautner, who plays the leader of the pack of werewolves who vows to protect Bella from evil vampires.

Most of that talk, howeverk, has been tossed at the 18-year-old's washboard abs which teenaged girls will undoubtedly go gaga over come Dec. 3.

Ninja Assassin

It's violent, it's bloody, and it's got Korean pop sensation Rain slicing and dicing limbs off of ninjas in this bloody ode to the martial arts genre.

Written specifically for the 28-year-old Asian superstar and produced by the Wachowski Brothers, "Ninja Assassin" looks to do what "Enter the Dragon" did for Bruce Lee - to introduce him to a global audience outside of continental Asia.

Directed by James McTiegue, who scored a critical and box-office hit with the 2005 film "V for Vendetta," the film stars Rain as Raizo, one of the world's deadliest assassins, who is trained by the Ozunu Clan, an underground band of killers who have for generations hidden behind mythology to protect themselves from being exposed.

Stripped of his childhood and his innocence, Raizo is transformed into a merciless Katana-wielding killing machine that plans to exact revenge on the clan for killing his first love after breaking free from their base - a hidden fortress deep in the crest of an unknown mountain.

To portray a hardened assassin, Rain had to endure a grueling six-month training session. The film is set for a Nov. 26 nationwide release.

Sherlock Holmes

Director Guy Ritchie looks to inject some hip and edginess into the fabled British detective, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the film's title character and Jude Law as his trusty partner-in-crime Professor Watson.

Ritchie and Downey Jr. is the unlikeliest of pairings and the last people most would think of to tackle the story of the legendary British sleuth, but reception to the film's trailer have sparked huge anticipation for the film since its announcement last year.

Downey Jr. has had a rollercoaster of a career stemming from countless arrests over substance abuse, but after the phenomenal success of "Iron Man" he's gone through something of a career renaissance.

With "Sherlock Holmes," the acclaimed actor looks to continue his stellar box-office drawing power with this contemporary interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic detective novels.

The film is scheduled to hit local theaters on Dec. 24.

Credits : Song Woong-ki and Yang Sung-jin (kws@heraldm.com)

Source : The Korea Herald

[deka_if]

2009-11-23

Rain: 'Keep Trying to Make Your Dream Come True'

▲Rain, who has been promoting his movie “Ninja Assassin” in North America, during his interview on November 21 (local time) in Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA.

"’Ninja Assassin’ helped me dream. If I keep trying, someday I will top the box office," said Rain (real name Jeong Ji-hoon) during his interview on November 21 in Los Angeles. He is the first Korean actor to play a lead in a major Hollywood movie. He has been promoting his movie “Ninja Assassin” in North America since last week. On November 19, he attended a prestigious red carpet event in Hollywood and a screening. On November 21, he was to give interviews to some 30 media agencies based in Los Angeles.

While saying that his movie had received positive feedback in the U.S., Rain added that what mattered most was taking on new challenges rather than producing good results. Rain said he wanted to publicize Korean culture in Hollywood.

With regard to his Hollywood experience, Rain said, "I want to continue to try new things despite failures. It is important to overcome failures and do your best even when your self-esteem is hurt.”

The interview lasted only 15 minutes, but it was enough for Rain to convey his strong determination and confidence.

Following are excerpts from the interview.

-- What were your impressions from walking the red carpet in the U.S. as the leading actor of “Ninja Assassin?”

▲ I’m very happy and proud as a Korean. I was the first Korean in Hollywood to attend a movie premiere as its leading actor. I was also the first Asian to do so. It was a great honor for me. My first step in Hollywood has been very successful. Everything was great and many people were excited about this. Apart from my Asian fans, many of my African-American and Caucasian fans also attended the premiere. I was very surprised.

-- What did U.S. journalists show particular interest in?

▲ They asked me a lot about my body-shaping secrets, about the way I exercise. They also asked me about my nationality and about what it feels like to be a Hollywood star.

-- Will your movie perform well at the box office?

▲ In a way, this movie is mine, because I play the main character. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. If my movie doesn’t do well, I’ll be scolded, and if it does well, I’ll receive praise. As long as my movie is in the top five, it’ll be success, because nobody has done this before.

-- Will the success of your movie be influenced by “New Moon,” which opened recently?

▲ My goal is not to top the box office. If my movie trails “New Moon” or even lands the fifth spot, it’ll be huge anyway. “Ninja Assassin” has a few stumbling blocks. It’s PG-rated, so children can’t watch it. It targets only a group of devoted fans rather than the general public.

-- What is “Ninja Assassin” to you?

▲ This movie helped me dream. My first try was successful. If I keep rising to new challenges, my movies will top the box office someday. I’m not holding my hopes high this time. If my movie enters the top five, it’ll be success. I’m going to take it slow.

-- What have you learned in Hollywood?

▲ I have learned that it’s important to keep trying despite failures. If you’re worried about failing even before making a try, it’s already over. It’s important to keep doing things even if you’re likely to fail. You should overcome failures and do your best even when your self-esteem is hurt.

-- How is your English doing?

▲ I’m studying English as hard as I can. When I don’t know something important, I ask others for help. I don’t like to pretend to know everything. It’s difficult for me to speak English fluently because I am a Korean. I tell others that I’m still learning and ask for help. I want to study harder.

--What other roles would you want to try in Hollywood? You once said you wanted to play an Asian man who was in love with a Caucasian woman.

▲ I would want to try that. Everything is possible. To be honest, nobody could have imagined that I would play a lead in this movie. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this. I would want to star in a romance movie someday.

-- What would you like to say to your Korean fans?

▲ My movie has received positive feedback in the U.S. Rather than producing good results, it’s important to keep trying. I want to publicize Korean culture in Hollywood. That’s my dream. I hope that Korean viewers will also like my movie.

Source : KBS Global

[deka_if]

11-23-2009

Hwang Jini to Be Revived in Traditional Operetta

The Korean traditional operetta “Hwang Jini” will be

performed from Nov. 26 to 29 at the Yeakdang hall

of the National Center for Korean Traditional Perfor-

ming Arts in southern Seoul. / Courtesy of the Nati-

onal Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts

Hwang Jini was one of the most famous "gisaeng," or female entertainers, and a renowned poet during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

Hwang went by her gisaeng name Myeongwol, which means "bright moon." Known for her beauty, wit and intelligence, she was a talented poet but only a handful of her poetry remains today.

Her personal life, which involved romances and friendships with some of the most powerful men of her day, has inspired many TV dramas, plays and films.

Now she will be reborn in a Korean traditional operetta presented by the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts (NCKTPA).

The traditional show is based on folk songs that were popular in the Gyeonggi, Hwanghae and Pyeongan provinces.

The operetta encompasses the entire spectrum of Joseon culture, including court and literary music, folk music and dance, Buddhist dance, traditional plays, poems and calligraphy.

The story deals with the romantic relationships between Hwang and the men around her and also her pursuit for true freedom. After the death of a young man who secretly loved her, Hwang realizes the futility of life and sets forth for a new life free from restraints and ties to social hierarchy.

She is reborn as a gisaeng talented in poetry, calligraphy, pictures, song and dance.

The operetta consists of 13 poems ― including Hwang's works ― that are recreated as songs. Some 60 performers will take part in the show directed by Kim Hyo-kyeong and written by Kim Yong-beom. Actress Choi Su-jeong will play Hwang.

The show uses not only Korean traditional instruments but also Western stringed instruments, keyboards, gongs and wind chimes.

"Hwang Jini" will also feature various techniques and stage effects.

The performance will be held Nov. 26-29 at the Yeakdang hall of the NCKTPA. Tickets cost from 10,000 won to 30,000 won.

For more information, visit www.gugak.go.kr or call (02) 580-3300.

Credits : Chung Ah-young (chungay@koreatimes.co.kr)

Source : The Korea Times

[deka_if]

2009.11.23

"Actresses" is a miracle achieved, says Koh (Part 1)

Film "Actresses" Press Conference

(From left) Actresses Kim Ok-bin, Kim Min-hee, Choi Ji-woo, Ko Hyeon-jeong, Lee Mi-sook,

Yoon Yeo-jeong and director E J-yong pose during a photo session of a press conference for

film "Actresses" held at a the Megabox Multiplex in Seoul, South Korea on November 17, 2009.

[Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

"What is the difference between an actress and an actor?" Kim Ok-vin asks in the filmmaking video interview for film "Actresses", set to open on December 23. Whether it be the public's jealousy-filled curiosity or overwhelming affection, it is what differentiates the actor from the actress. Actresses are more vulnerable to rumors and scandals than male actors and that vulnerability forces them crawl only deeper into their shell. So if six actresses were to come together in one setting and were given the chance to speak as themselves instead of acting out lines written by someone else, what would happen? We got a glimpse into what could happen at the press conference for the film "Actresses", held at Seoul's Megabox Multiplex on November 17.

Scenes from the film "Actresses"

Contrary to the director's humble desire to make a female-cast-only movie, the cast of "Actresses" is nowhere close to being humble. From Yoon Yeo-jeong, Lee Mi-sook, Ko Hyeon-jeong, Choi Ji-woo, Kim Min-hee and Kim Ok-vin, the actresses who represent each generation, is an all-star cast that consists of the master, the Hallyu star and the protegee. One Christmas eve, these actresses gather for a fashion photoshoot under the concept “the actress who is more beautiful than jewelry” and the result is something that is equally glamorous and dangerous as a blockbuster movie. With each actress portraying themselves and each exposing themselves more than they ever have, as they all wrote the script together, the movie offers a series of surprises, one after another. Choi Ji-woo and Ko Hyeon-jeong, who meet for the first time, raise their voices and get into a fight. Choi Ji-woo even ends up running off the set of the movie. Kim Min-hee gets upset after being told that men do not find her attractive and Kim Ok-vin is miserable because she can’t fit into Kim Min-hee’s clothes. On top of that, Yoon Yeo-jeong insists she will not have any make-up put on her and Lee Mi-sook makes an appearance with her personal stylist in tow. With six stars who are all used to being at the center of the spotlight wherever they go, it is only natural that a catfight would ensue. So will the meeting -- or “Christmas nightmare” as one editor described it -- of these actresses end in peace? But the Q&A session among the six actresses, whose “casting process should have been made into a film,” as one said, was filled with laughter, warmth and straightforward remarks.

Actress Yoon Yeo-jeong [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Q: “Actresses” is slightly different from usual movies in that the actors appear as themselves. What is it about?

Yoon Yeo-jeong (Yoon): The synopsis is that we are all cast for a fashion shoot on Christmas Eve. A group of six actresses who are in their twenties to sixties, and you may think this is quite strange because everyone is beautiful except for me. I think director E J-yong cast me because I was the only sixty-something actress that he knew. I got involved in this film while having a drink with Hyeon-jeong and the director. Ok-vin, how did you get involved?

Kim Ok-vin (Kim): I really wanted to meet with these great actresses and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

Koh Hyeon-jeong (Koh): It was an honor for me to get to work with everyone, I loved it. It’s simply a miracle that the film got made and that we got to hold a press conference like this.

Q: In the trailer, there is serious tension between Ko Hyeon-jeong and Choi Ji-woo. Was it real or acted out?

Koh: Of course it was real.

Choi Ji-woo (Choi): We aren't on the best of terms. (laugh)

Koh: I wasn’t trying to start a fight, Ji-woo just seemed a bit overly sensitive.

Lee Mi-sook (Lee): Hyeon-jeong wasn’t that famous at the time [of the film’s shooting]. It was before she did [MBC TV series] “Queen Seon-deok”. (laugh) But Ji-woo was a big Hallyu star, so even I was a little self-conscious about that and Hyeon-jeong stepped forward. Everyone was surprised.

Koh: She made me angry. (laugh) It’s not like I said something too out of line, but it was a long time ago so I don’t remember exactly…

Actress Lee Mi-sook [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Q: So when did you shoot the fighting scene?

Choi: It was the very first day of shooting. I had to shoot that scene on the first day that I met Koh. My heart was shaking and I couldn’t control my facial expressions. What you see on the screen is not acting. (laugh)

Koh: I was looking at her in the eye when I was saying my lines but I was bordering on my limit. And Ji-woo is very pretty, so I got jealous and I thought, ‘Heck, this is not a joke.’ We not on particularly bad terms but not particularly good either, so it came out the way things had been between us at the time of shooting.

Choi: But I was angry when she hit my forehead. (laugh)

Koh: I stopped there because I didn’t want to get in any legal trouble. (laugh) I actually wasn’t planning on doing that but actresses are simple-minded. So we started fighting and it was all the more intense because we are similar in height as well. (laugh)

Q: Besides Koh Hyeon-jeong, were any of you ever jealous of other actresses?

Kim Min-hee (Kim MH): In the film, the male make-up artist says that Kim Ok-vin is the type of woman that men like and that I’m the type that is not popular with men. I will admit to it, but I was still jealous. I was like, hey, I’m popular with men too. Hmmph. (laugh)

Q: Kim Ok-vin, how did you feel when you heard that?

Kim OV: It was a compliment, so I had no reason to feel bad. (laugh)

Actress Ko Hyeon-jeong [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Q: In the interview video with the director, Lee Mi-sook says she thinks the world revolves around her. Is that true? (laugh)

Lee: I’ve known director E J-yong for ten years, so he knows me really well. When I was first offered the part, I said straight away that I would do it. But watching the video that was released today, I think I need to get a bit more serious. When we were shooting, we weren’t acting out our parts according to the scenario. We were just handed a situation and the actresses would talk about it for a couple of hours, and then the director would just turn on the camera and start filming us. (laugh) So I don’t really remember what I said in that situation. But I remember certain scenes upon watching the movie now. I think we think we really did talk from the bottom of our hearts.

Q: Then are you saying that the director did nothing after casting the actresses? (laugh)

E J-yong (E): Um.. you shouldn’t say it like that. (laugh) I want to make something different from the conventional movie. I had established the basic situations and conflicts for each character beforehand but since “Actresses” is a story about actresses, I thought it would be a lot more genuine if the story was delivered through their lips rather than being based on fiction that I created. I had prepared a certain space for them but many elements depended a lot on the skills and talents of the actresses.

Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr

Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

2009.11.23

"Actresses" is a miracle achieved, says Koh (Part 2)

Film "Actresses" Press Conference

Actress Choi Ji-woo [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Q: You had probably never portrayed your own self in a movie before, so how was the experience?

Kim MH: What was hard for me was that everyone had strong characters in the beginning, but I didn't have anything to do. (laugh) I didn't know how I should set the direction for myself. And I think I was intimidated by my co-stars. I started out thinking it would be fun and wasn't too worried but these ladies turned out to be quite something. So I became worried about what I should do and just hid in the background. (laugh) I think it was wise for me to do so. I'm the actress whom you'll see the most back shots of in the movie.

Q: What was it like working with these younger actresses who each represent their respective age groups?

Yoon: It was fun. Mi-sook says she doesn't remember what she said in the movie, but that's because she kept drinking champagne throughout the shoot. (laugh)

Lee: I really did drink and act out my scenes. And the director let us be whatever we did. I think the things that were said in the film are truly what actresses would want to say in real life. We weren't talking to the screen, we were just having an honest conversations actress on actress.

Actress Kim Min-hee [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Q: Was there any actress who turned out to be different from the first impression you had of her?

Yoon: I thought Ji-woo would be a shrewd because she's pretty, but I loved her because she's very nice and sweet. It was my first time meeting Ok-vin, but I knew she would be weird and alien-like. (laugh)

Kim OV: For me, Min-hee was different from my first impression I had of her. I thought she would be shy and quiet but I was surprised because she jokes around and laughs a lot.

Kim MH: I thought Yoon Yeo-jeong would be scary…

Yoon: Hey, I am scary.

Kim MH: I'm sorry to say this, but you weren't scary at all. You were lovely. (laugh) She has a young mind so I felt very comfortable talking to you.

Lee: I had met Ji-woo for the first time and I thought she would start talking in Japanese. But she doesn't speak Japanese that well. (laugh) I think this film could either be a big success or a big failure for Ji-woo. There were things that even her fellow actors had misunderstood about her and fortunately for Ji-woo, I think she must be relieved to able to show a new side of herself with this movie.

Choi: Honestly, I was cautious in the beginning. I had to reveal who I am, as Choi Ji-woo, so I was basically risking everything. But after I had a couple of conversations with the director and the actresses, I think I was able to break from my mold a little bit, though not entirely. So I don't think I'll have any regrets even if the movie crashes. (laugh)

Ko: There were surprising aspects to everyone. In the case of Ji-woo, she had courage. And she has a very clear sense of judgment. And there were many times I was grateful to her for that. As for Mi-sook, I was able to realize even more clearly why I like her and love her so much.

Actress Kim Ok-vin [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]

Q: What does the film "Actresses" mean to you being an actress?

Choi: I want to be called a real actress now. I have such ambitions and this movie holds very important meaning to me as the first stepping stone I'm taking as an actress.

Ko: I wanted to spend the most effective time with many actresses together. And there are many opportunities for male and female actors to get together, but not too many solely for actresses. So I wanted to see them up close, talk to them and help them. In that sense, I gained and learned a lot through this film. I hope that seeing all of us together will be like a huge gift-set for the viewers.

Kim MH: I agree with what Ji-woo said. I want to be regarded an actress too. Doing this movie and appearing alongside these great senior actresses is the biggest significance for me.

Lee: Actors are actually very wary of showing their true selves outside the characters they play but we trusted the director and we wanted to show that we too live our lives as normal people to a certain extent, and that we're not just what the media portrays us to be.

Reporter : Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr

Photographer : Lee Jin-hyuk eleven@10asia.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

11-23-2009

Jiyeon in TV Drama

Jiyeon

Jiyeon, a member of T-ara, a newly created girl group, has been picked to star as the heroine in a television drama to be broadcast on KBS 2TV in January, the group's agency Core Contents Media said Monday.

Jiyeon, 16, will star in the tentatively titled ``God of Studies'' opposite Yoo Seung-ho, another teenage actor. She made her debut as a member of the six-member group in July and appeared in the MBC TV drama ``Soul.''

``God of Studies,'' based on the Japanese comic book ``Dragon Sakura,'' is set in a high school where naughty junior boys and girls are studying in a special classroom to get into prestigious universities.

Jiyeon, along with Yoo, plays the role of a troublemaker who confronts actor Kim Soo-ro, a teacher striving to get his students into top universities.

Jiyeon and Yoo appeared together in ``Lies,'' T-ara's debut music video.

Credits : sahds@koreatimes.co.kr

Source : <ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

2009.11.20

Film adaptation of hit novel adds unique colors

[Moview Review]

White Night

Film adaptations of popular literary works can be a double-edged sword for any skilled filmmaker. While success of the original is helpful, making a movie version work requires a bit more magic.

Based on Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino’s thriller, the South Korean adaptation “White Night (Baegyahaeng)” opens with shocking scenes contrasting the lives of the film’s hero and heroine and onetime lovers.

Tracing the faraway expression on heroine Mi-ho’s (Son Ye-jin) face, the camera takes the audience back 14 years to when a pawnbroker is found murdered on an abandoned ship in a provincial Korean city.

The case goes cold and is finally closed after the key suspect commits suicide, only to be reopened by a washed-up detective (Han Suk-kyu) after three people involved in the original case are found dead or missing.

Days before the statute on the case expires, the detective resumes the investigation, reuniting with Yo-han (Ko Soo), the son of the pawnbroker who has been living like a shadow of Mi-ho, driven by love and guilt for a shared childhood tragedy.

Director Park Shin-woo’s feature debut makes almost no alterations to the original story line, focusing instead on giving more personality to each main character.

The story of Mi-ho and Yo-han - who share a dark past that deepens their relationship - will thus fail to trigger any suspense for people who are already familiar with the Japanese novel, which was also adapted into a TV drama series in Japan in 2006.

The movie does manage to add some color of its own despite the familiar plot, largely due to the director’s cinematography and the well-balanced performances.

Son Ye-jin, who chose “White Night” as her 10th film, gives a flawless performance as the femme fatale Mi-ho. With just a small quiver of the lips, the 27-year-old actress manages to express a range of emotions, proving that eight years of experience has made her into one of South Korea’s best actresses.

Actors Son Ye-jin, left, and Ko Soo star in “White Night,” the Korean adaptation of

Japanese novelist Keigo Higashino’s thriller. Provided by Cinema Service

Kang Woo-suk, the king of South Korean filmmaking who directed “Silmido” (2003) and produced “King and the Clown” (2005) - two of five local films that drew over 10 million viewers at home - produced “White Night.”

“The original work was great and the scenario seemed even better,” Kang said in an earlier interview. “People know who the culprit is, but will still be drawn to the movie as they wonder why he committed those crimes.” Yonhap

Actors Son Ye-jin

Source : JoongAng Daily

[deka_if]

2009.11.24

Korea's 'Missing Person' honored at Greek film fest

SEOUL, Nov. 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's "Missing Person," a feature debut by director Lee Seo, received an artistic achievement nod by the 50th Thessaloniki International Film Festival as the fourth Korean film to be honored by the Greek fest, the event's Web site said Tuesday.

The movie, which is waiting for a local release on Dec. 17, exposes the cruel and indifferent aspects of the hierarchical South Korean society through a real estate agent who mistreats anyone who is weaker than him. It received the top honor at Korea's Jeonju International Film Festival in April.

This year's Thessaloniki film fest ran Nov. 13-22, screening 13 foreign titles including Korea's "Missing Person." Israeli-German co-production "Ajami" won the $60,000 top prize Golden Alexander while the director prize went to Rigoberto Perezcano for Mexican-Spanish co-production "Northless."

Three Korean films, including "Family Ties" by Kim Tae-yong, have previously been honored by the festival. "Family Ties" won four awards including the Golden Alexander in 2006.

Credits : hayney@yna.co.kr

Source : Yonhap News, The Korea Herald

[deka_if]

2009.11.24

John Cho is one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men"

Korean-American actor John Cho [People magazine]

Korean-American actors John Cho and Daniel Dae Kim recently made it onto People magazine's "2009 Sexiest Men List". The Sexiest Men issue's cover featured Johny Depp, who claimed the title of "Sexiest Man Alive" for the second time since 2003, and introduced a total of 110 of the most fabulous men in the world. John Cho appeared in the magazine alongside some of today's hottest television actors including Matthew Bomer of "White Collar", Penn Badgley of "Gossip Girl" and Jim Parsons of "The Big Bang Theory". Cho currently plays an FBI agent in the new ABC TV series "Flash Forward". When asked what makes playing an FBI agent sexy, Cho answered, "I think it's because if you're carrying a real gun, you walk differently."

From sexy men of all ages to sexy vampires

Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim, left, and "Twilight" star Robert Pattison

John Cho has been keeping busy since appearing in the summer flick "Star Trek: The Beginning" and following it up with a major role in "Flash Forward". According to Korean Beacon [a website dedicated to Korean-American life and culture], Cho, who also made the People's "Sexiest Men List" in 2006, is one of the most successful Korean-American actors working today. The actor was also featured in men's magazine "GQ" wearing a suit last August. Daniel Dae Kim, the actor in "Lost" who made the List in 2005, is described in the magazine as being "Sexy at Every Age". He was selected as one of the sexiest forty-something actor in the section, which names actors in their twenties to fifties, alongside male stars such as David Boreanaz, Harry Connick Jr., Matthew Fox, Peter Krause, Matt Dillon, John Stamos and Jon Bon Jovi.

On the other hand, many media outlets are describing People's crowning of the 46-year-old Johnny Depp as "Sexiest Man Alive" as "an odd choice". But People explains that Johny Depp, who has been working in the entertainment industry for the past 25 years, still has the beauty and sex appeal to attract female fans. Also included in the list was last year's "Sexiest Man Alive" Hugh Jackman, Simon Baker, David Beckham, Bradley Cooper, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan Reynolds and the male cast of FOX TV series "Glee". The "Vampire Awards" section, which is dedicated to actors who have played vampires in television or film, featured actors Robert Pattinson of hit movie series "Twilight", Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder who play brothers in "The Vampire Diaries", Stephen Moyer and Alexander Skarsgard of "True Blood".

Reporter : Yang Ji-hyun (New York Correspondent)

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr, Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

2009.11.24

Han Ye-seul, Kang Ji-hwan at hand printing event

From top down, actress Han Ye-seul and actor Kang Ji-hwan attend a hand printing ceremony for the upcoming 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards held at the Yeongdeungpo CJ CGV in Seoul, South Korea on November 24, 2009. Last year, Han won the award for Best New Actress for "Miss Golddigger" while Kang took the prize for Best New Actor for his role in film "Rough Cut".

Actress Han Ye-seul [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Actress Han Ye-seul [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Actor Kang Ji-hwan [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Son Ye-jin, attends hand printing ceremony

Actress Son Ye-jin attends a hand printing ceremony for the upcoming 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards held at the Yeongdeungpo CJ CGV in Seoul, South Korea on November 24, 2009. Kim took the award for Best Actress last year with her role in film "My Wife Got Married".

Actress Son Ye-jin [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Actress Son Ye-jin [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Kim Yoon-suk attends hand printing ceremony

Actor Kim Yoon-suk attends a hand printing ceremony for the upcoming 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards held at the Yeongdeungpo CJ CGV in Seoul, South Korea on November 24, 2009. Kim took the award for Best Actor last year with his role in hit film "Chaser".

Actor Kim Yoon-suk [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Actor Kim Yoon-suk [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

So Ji-sub attends hand printing ceremony

Actor So Ji-sub attends a hand printing ceremony for the upcoming 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards held at the Yeongdeungpo CJ CGV in Seoul, South Korea on November 24, 2009. So won the award for Best New Actor for his role in film "Rough Cut".

Actor So Ji-sub [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Actor So Ji-sub [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]

Photographer : Lee Ki-bum metro83@asiae.co.kr

Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

2009.11.24

Park Shin-hye to meet with fans in Taiwan

Actress Park Shin-hye [sBS]

Actress Park Shin-hye will meet with fans in Taiwan by holding a promotional event in the country next month, according to her agency on Tuesday.

"She is set to meet with her Taiwanese fans around the 10th of December," said an official at Ava Entertainment, explaining that Park's popularity in countries such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong has been rising after the airing of SBS TV series "Minamishineyo".

Her fans in Taiwan in particular had continuously requested for a meeting with the 19-year-old starlet, Ava said of their decision to visit the country.

Park has been starring alongside actor Jang Keun-suk in the Wednesday and Thursday prime time drama which has been faring comparatively well up against blockbuster TV series "Iris" in the same time slot.

"Iris", with ratings of around 30 percent, is set to remain unchallenged with its grand-scale plot and A-list cast including actors Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee, but "Minamishineyo" has maintained passable ratings of around 10 percent with a mania fanbase.

Park has appeared in over a dozen movies since her debut in 2003, gaining fame in hit TV series "Stairway to Heaven" starring Korea's most popular stars including Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Ji-woo and Kim Tae-hee.

Reporter : Lim Hye-seon lhsro@asiae.co.kr

Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

11-24-2009

Ex-KBS Anchor Gives Birth to Baby in US

Former KBS anchor Roh Hyun-jung

Former KBS anchor Roh Hyun-jung, who flew to the United States two months ago, has given birth to her second baby there, reports said.

Roh married Chung Dae-sun, CEO of Hyundai BS&C, in 2006 and the couple had their first son in Boston the following year.

She gave birth to the second baby earlier than expected. She and her newborn are reportedly both healthy.

Her departure to the United States two months ago raised speculation among netizens that she had gone in order for the baby to receive American citizenship.

Roh is expected to return home in December. Roh, who lived in Boston after the marriage, has lived in Seoul since the family returned in May, 2008.

Chung is the third son of the late Chung Mong-woo, former chairman of Hyundai Aluminum.

Credits : Cho Jae-hyon (chojh@koreatimes.co.kr)

Source : The Korea Times

[deka_if]

2009.11.24

[iNTERVIEW]

Hyun Bin - Part 1

Actor Hyun Bin, who plays the role of a megalomaniac in the film "I Am Happy", poses during an interview with 10Asia. [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

For some reason, it is hard to think of Hyun Bin's smiling face. And it is not simply because he is playing the role of a poor and agonized man wanting to escape from his dire situation but ends up in a hospital after diagnosed as a megalomaniac in the recent film "I Am Happy." Hyun's role in TV series ranging from MBC's "Ireland" in 2004, KBS' "The Snow Queen," "The World That They Live In" to MBC's "Friend, Our Legend," were all characters who were mostly suppressed in some way or is facing a dead end. Even in the romantic comedy drama "My Name is Kim Sam-Soon", he successfully portrayed the sorrowful pain that his character had deep in his heart. For this, Hyun came to be acknowledged as an actor with a dignified presence at the young age of 28 and the time spent with him was an opportunity to confirm this. He did smile frequently though, opposite from expectations.

10: A year has already passed since we met while you were shooting "The World That They Live In."

Hyun Bin (Hyun): I've been extremely busy these days. Usually I'm not such a workaholic, but I've been offered with great roles one after another, and thus the past year or two meant constant work for me.

10: In fact, the film "I Am Happy" was completed before shooting "The World That They Live In." How did you feel after watching the film again after it was selected as the closing film at the 14th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF)?

Hyun: It was the same in that it was stifling. (laugh) However, I had a chance to watch it more closely unlike during the PIFF, when concentrating wasn't easy.

10: What do you mean by when you say it was stifling?

Hyun: The movie it self is depressing and miserable. It's hard to put it in words, but I could say it may be something similar to wanting to drink in the middle of the night for no specific reason? (laugh)

10: But you chose to take on the depressing plot. (laugh) Well, the character from the original novel "Mr. Cho Man-deuk" written by the late Lee Chung-joon is not only a man in his late 30s but the situation he is placed in is also very painful.

Hyun: I got to read the initial scenario before seeing the book, but the character had originally been set to be older and he was also in a slightly different situation. But while reading the depressing scenario, I found myself smiling. It wasn't because it was funny, but for some reason I couldn't help myself from smiling. I told director Yoon that I really want to play this role and that I'm queerly attracted to it.

10: Man-soo from "I Am Happy" has a dull look in his eyes even before he is diagnosed with megalomania. He neither has a chance to recover from poverty nor does he have a dramatic story. Why did you choose to dive into such hardship by selecting a plot which is surely not popular and is not much that you can obtain from?

Hyun: The scenario was different from others. I couldn't predict whether I can successfully play out Man-soo's character or not. And although it may seem irresponsible, I couldn't tell the director surely that I would be able to take on the role and do a good job of it. Rather, I told him candidly, "I am not confident that I will be able to do this well, but I will do my best." I guess I wasn't wrong in thinking that there would be a lot of lessons to learn.

10: What exactly did you learn?

Hyun: The film came to me at the exact time when I had to look back on myself once in a while. While shooting, I asked myself whether I'm happy or not. I asked myself about happiness, myself and things about my career. Of course, I wasn't able to find an answer. (laugh) It's hard to find an end to these questions. But, the process, the two or three months or so, did have a great impact on me. Though I don't know how others will evaluate my acting, the film itself was valuable time for me.

10: You acted as a mad man in this movie unlike Kang-gook from "Ireland" or Tae-woong from "The Snow Queen" who controlled their emotions rationality. What was it like to pretend to be 'insane'?

Hyun: It was painful. Like I told director Yoon, the entire process of shooting the film was distressing and painful. But what was interesting was that I was able to gain a deeper fun out of such pain. Acting as characters in my previous works, in fact, involved me pulling out a certain aspect within myself or exaggerating it. Man-soo and I, however, did not have a single similarity including the situated environment or personality. Therefore, I discussed with the director regarding Man-soo's looks or movements. Doing so helped me to endure the painful moments.

10: The pain Man-soo went through when he was receiving electric shock therapy was also delivered straight to the viewers. The moment when his face gets red-hot without being able to make a single sound was especially impressive.

Hyun: I thought hard on how I should portray such pain while being tied to a bed. I read books and saw movies that deal with megalomania, got information from the director and met patients who are suffering from it. My face turned red because I was really holding my breath and in the process, I once spat out the mouthpiece because I had stopped breathing.

Reporter: Choi Ji-Eun <five@10asia.co.kr>

Photographer : Chae ki-won <ten@10asia.co.kr>

Editor: Linda Kim lindakim@asiae.co.kr, Lee Ji-Hye <seven@10asia.co.kr>, Jang Kyung-Jin <three@10asia.co.kr>

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

2009.11.24

[iNTERVIEW]

Hyun Bin - Part 2

Actor Hyun Bin poses during an interview with 10Asia.

[Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

10: So after so much studying about megalomaniacs, what do you think is the line that separates a 'normal man' from a megalomaniac?

Hyun: It's just a matter of seriousness. Everyone is mad in some sense. I think it's all about figuring out for what and to what extent a person is mad.

10: Then, do you think you've 'gone too far' compared with others? (laugh)

Hyun: Well, I don't think I've gone that far. (laugh)

10: It seems people would call you a workaholic.

Hyun: No, this is a special situation. In the early days of my acting career, I used to take breaks for almost 6 months after finishing a drama or film despite having nothing to rely on.

10: You've received a lot of attention since your debut and have continued to see success. What were your thoughts when you first started acting?

Hyun: I started doing plays in high school and continued to do theater in college when somebody asked me to go to an audition and I got signed on for a role. I took a leave from school and did a movie. At the time, I just thought I was acting in front of a camera instead of on a stage. Like I had just found a new space for acting. I would have continued to feel that way if my movies did well, but it got flopped when we were about 60 percent into shooting so I started getting more ambitious. I was on a leave from school, working hard, and I didn't want to go back to school just like that. So I started preparing for this industry. I also wanted to be compensated for all the time I spent away from school. (laugh) Honestly, it was different from theater but fun in its own way. I started thinking that I wanted to give it a real shot.

10: You sound like you want to be in control of your career, as if you're saying "I will be the one who decides when I'll retire."

Hyun: If I didn't want it for myself, I would have just given up. (laugh) But I met some good people at the time and I was able to continue working. I'm always grateful that I've been blessed with good people around me.

[Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

10: To have good people around you, they have to like you first.

Hyun: They made me like them. I'm not the type of person who says things like, "I love you". (laugh) But I will call them and ask them how they're doing every now and then. I don't go out and hang out with certain groups of people, I just keep in touch with people that I have worked with.

10: What do you do in your free time after you've finished a project?

Hyun: I get rid of everything from my previous role. I only look at things for my next role after I've gotten rid of the things related to my previous role. I feel like I'm not giving it my all when I pay attention to other things, even just for a few days, so I try not to look at other projects or shoot commercials when I'm working on something. I sometimes I get into trouble because of that. (laugh) When I finish a project, I do things that I didn't have time to do and when my next project has been set, I prepare for it. If I need to exercise, I exercise. If I need to play the piano, I play the piano.

10: When you say you "get rid of things", it feels like you're not using the things you've gained from the experience or naturally have in your talent. You have your good looks, but you neither try to discourage it nor flaunt it.

Hyun: To be honest, I'm not conscious about it. If there is anything that I do for my appearance, it is that I try to watch my weight a little. You might find this hard to believe but I weighed 80 kilograms on the first episode of "My Name Is Kim Sam Soon". I usually lose about 4.5 kgs by the time I finish a project, so I start off with a little extra weight. Then I'll weigh 76 kgs even if I lose some weight. (laugh) Other than that, I balance my muscle mass according to the circumstances. If there is a scene I need to work-out for, then I'll get rid of body fat and fill the body weight with muscle. But in case of "The World That They Live In", I felt that a television drama director wouldn't have time to go to the gym, so I didn't work out at all.

Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@10asia.co.kr

Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@10asia.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin, Lee Ji-Hye

<ⓒ10Asia All rights reserved>

[deka_if]

2009.11.24

[iNTERVIEW]

Hyun Bin - Part 3

Actor Hyun Bin poses during an interview with 10Asia.

[Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

10: How would you judge your own looks?

Hyun: I'm not too sure about anything else, but I have a face that easily changes with a different hairstyle or makeup. That I like. And I’m grateful when I hear people say I'm handsome or a pretty boy but I really don’t care for such words that much. There are many guys around me who are much more handsome than I am. (laugh)

10: You must get a lot of offers which try to take advantage of your star power as Hyun Bin, but you seem to avoid taking those offers in particular.

Hyun: I do get such offers but I think they just weren’t my type of work. I don’t mean to say they were good or bad, I just wasn’t attracted to them. I can’t abandon my so-called star power completely, but I don’t want to be led by it either.

10: In that regard, “Friend, Our Legend” (“Friend”) is something you said you chose to do even though you knew people would talk about it unfavorably.

Hyun: That’s right. People told me negative things about it even before I started working on it. (laugh) I hadn't even set my foot in the water and heard a lot of things. People told me it would be better if I didn’t do it. The film left such a strong impression and the acting by my senior actors had been so good that I was told I would have a tough time even if I pulled off the character Dong-soo. A lot of people were against me taking on the drama, but I just went ahead with it and did it.

10: But as the movie enters the second half, you did establish a different character than the one played by Jang Dong-gun in the film. What sort of character did you want to express Dong-soo as?

Hyun: I created a more sensitive Dong-soo since the drama version had a lot of melodrama elements, especially with Jin-sook, added into it. The tone of the drama was more mellow because even with all the fighting scenes, I would either be showing tears before or after the fight or my relationship with Jin-sook would be revealed which would soften the atmosphere. I think the biggest difference was the melodramatic side to Dong-soo.

10: When you look back it now, what did you gain from doing “Friend”?

Hyun: I think the most significant thing was that I was able to work with people like director Kwak Kyung-taek and his staff on the story that I had dreamed about doing since 2001, even before my debut. The whole process, from the reading sessions, shooting and monitoring afterwards, creating facial expressions and building on the character, and the people I worked with.. I gained a lot from the experience.

10: You must've not been sure of what you would gain from the experience when you first started. Are you the type that goes ahead with a plan and think later?

Hyun: I usually am. If I like something, I just go ahead with it. If I decide that I want to try doing this project, I don’t really pay attention to other circumstances. Whatever the consequence, that comes later so I just make a choice and do it.

10: But since you are acting in an entertainment business, having luck is as important as putting in your own efforts. Sometimes, things don't turn out the way you had anticipated and lead you onto a completely different direction. Do you have any fears about choosing which role you'll take on next?

Hyun: No. If I go way off track, then I can just walk back. Whatever role I take on, I don’t know what will happen. And once I take on a role and start shooting, there are always bound to be people who are keeping an eye on the overall situation. So if everything continues to move along and they give me the green light, I'm guessing it means that I'm doing alright. Hence when say that “I am not responsible for the ratings or the number of viewers", which I always say, is really is because the outcome isn't dependent on me. My part is to do my best in front of the camera til the end, before the results come out.

Actor Hyun Bin poses during an interview with 10Asia. [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

10: You said that you weren’t trying to make some sort of calculated transformation in the film “I Am Happy”. It really does seem you weren't under the pressure to transform yourself but rather just taking on different roles every time.

Hyun: People tell me that my acting has gotten much better since doing “I Am Happy”. I think it’s because I had a lot of time to think by myself with this movie. It’s not easy to get rid of everything that was embedded in your body from your previous role but luckily, I think that I have been meeting the directors, one after another, who have helped me do that. Directors Yoon Jong-chan, Pyo Min-soo, Kwak Kyung-taek, Kim Tae-yong -- they all want something new. They don’t want to see the acting pattern of Hyun Bin that everyone is so familiar with. So I have no choice but to get rid of them. But it’s not like I can wash everything away completely so I just push them back for a moment. Someday, as I get older and keep acting, I think I will be able to use them all very well.

10: You are preparing to shoot the film “Manchu” with director Kim Tae-yong. That movie was first made in the 1960s. The original film was a melodrama about a fugitive and a well-behaved female inmate. What do you find attractive about the new role?

Hyun: The scenario was entertaining, and I thought that if this story was written in the 1960s it must have been a very sophisticated film. This is actually the fourth remake of “Manchu” but I have intentionally stayed away from watching the previous movies. I’m going to prepare for the movie on my own before going into shoot and watch everything at the very last minute.

10: Your co-star is actress Tang Wei of “Lust, Caution”, so you must get a lot of questions about that. But what truly worries you the most at this point, ahead of going into shoot?

Hyun: Language, of course. It’s a global project so everything is conducted in English, 100 percent. I’ve experienced language barriers when I did “Friend” so it’s even more overwhelming. The Busan dialect I used in “Busan” is Korean but it still lessened my emotions in my acting because I was worried about the language. So I’m worried about how much emotion I’ll be able to deliver in English, which isn’t my native language. I did a reading with Tang Wei before I came to Korea and had a talk with her, but I think it’s important to overcome the language barrier not just with my acting partner but with the entire crew as well because most of them are foreigners too. I’m going to try to get rid of the language barrier by practicing with an English tutor before filming starts. And from what I’ve discussed with the director, my character is someone who came to the U.S. three years ago so he doesn’t need to speak like a native and so I’m going to focus on delivering the emotions first. That makes me feel a little easier about the part.

10: You said that you want to be remembered by the names of your characters than as Hyun Bin. But when your play the characters, what people remember is the sense of trust that comes with the name Hyun Bin. Isn’t that ironic?

Hyun: I used to hate that, to be honest. When people called me “Kook” and not Hyun Bin after “Ireland” ended, I hated that. I thought that I should be called by my real name Hyun Bin back then and it was such a stupid thought. (laugh) But after “My Name Is Kim Sam Soon” ended, people kept calling me “Sam-shik” instead of my own name. After a while, I gradually realized how wonderful and lucky it was to be called that. So from a certain point on, I felt much happier when people called me by the names of my characters and not by my own. That’s all I need.

Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@10asia.co.kr, Jang Kyung-Jin three@10asia.co.kr

Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@10asia.co.kr

Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr, Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr

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[deka_if]

2009/11/25

Internet service providers earned $1.7 million from piracy: gov't

SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- Six local Internet service providers made nearly 2 billion won (US$1.7 million) by selling pirated copies of films and broadcast materials during the June-November period, a government report on a nationwide digital piracy crackdown revealed Wednesday.

South Korea, often criticized for its loose enforcement of anti-piracy laws, pledged to get tougher on digital theft following the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak government in February last year.

Digital theft is blamed for an annual loss of more than 2 trillion won (about US$1.5 billion) in South Korea, the world's most wired country, with nearly 20,000 files of copyrighted content circulating illegally last year alone, according to recent government data.

During the six-month crackdown from June, police nabbed 87 people on charges of posting and circulating bootleg files of copyrighted materials on local file-sharing sites, the culture ministry said.

Among the 87, police handed over seven owners of the Web sites and five "heavy uploaders" -- indicting people who received more than 5 million won from Internet service providers in return for posting pirated copies -- to prosecutors. The remaining suspects will also face indictment should they have uploaded more than 5,000 files or earned more than 1 million won in profit.

The illegally made profit will be confiscated by the government under the state law on criminal proceeds, revised in March, the ministry said.

In February, a Seoul court sentenced the chiefs of the country's top four Internet service providers to one year in prison and a 30 million won fine for facilitating illegal distribution of copyrighted content. The case marked the first time criminal charges had ever been brought against illegal online activity.

Service providers say that today's Internet users have now become "too tech-savvy" for them to handle and that a solution should be sought by the government.

Source : Yonhap News

[deka_if]

11-25-2009

Rain Becomes Int’l Superstar: CNN

An influential U.S. cable news network has praised Korean pop star Rain as having "all the trimmings of an international superstar in the making."

Under the title of "From Asian top star to Ninja Assassin," Cable News Network (CNN) said on its Internet edition on Tuesday commented like that, while introducing the film where Rain stars, one day before it is released nationwide in the U.S.

CNN reported the difficulty Rain (real name is Chung Ji-hoon) has suffered, along his personal history as entertainer. The broadcaster said that Rain has climbed "from unknown backup dancer to a members of Asian A-list."

"He was hailed as one of People magazine's most beautiful two years ago, and despite being relatively unknown to most Americans, beat Stephen Colbert in a Time magazine online poll of most influential people in 2007."

This is his second appearance in a Hollywood movie, following "Speed Racer" last year.

Source : The Korea Times

[deka_if]

2009.11.25

Kim Ha-neul considering So Ji-sub drama

Actress Kim Ha-neul [J.One+ Entertainment]

Actress Kim Ha-neul is considering taking on war drama "Road Number One" opposite top actor So Ji-sub who has been set to play the leading male role, according to Kim's agency on Wednesday.

An official at J.One+ Entertainment said Kim was asked to star as the main female character in "Road" and is looking into the script with a positive outlook.

The official also played down reports that Kim has decided to play the part, saying they are still in discussions with the producers of the drama which is set to go into shoot starting January next year.

"Road", co-produced by Lee Jang-soo of Logos Film and Kim Jin-min at major broadcaster MBC, will be an epic war drama about the Korean War and a sixty-year love and friendship.

The 16-part series, written by Hahn Ji-hoon who wrote the script for Korean box-office blockbuster film "Taegukki", is also set to be sold to 21 countries which participated in the war.

Kim, 31, has enjoyed steady popularity in Korea since her debut in 1996. She has starred in numerous hit TV movies and dramas, including hit film "My Tutor Friend" in 2003 with fellow Hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo and SBS TV series "On Air" last year.

She has recently been gaining popularity throughout Asia with film "My Girlfriend is an Agent", a comedy action film co-starring Kang Ji-hwan. She wrapped up promotion of the pic in October in several countries including Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr

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