[News] Drama, Movies, Actors & Actresses

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January 26, 2011

Song Hae Kyo to Release Photo Album 'Song Hae Kyo's Moment'

Source: KBS Global

Hallyu star Song Hae Kyo (29) will publish her photo album entitled "Song Hae Kyo's Moment" on January 28 in the market, targeting the entire world. The publishing company Nangman Books said on January 24, "Song Hae Kyo will publish her first photo album which contains her photos taken when she visited six countries including France, Italy, USA, Argentina, and the Netherlands for the past five years. The books will be published in limited quantities, and all two thousands of the published books will have their own serial number. Half of them have already been ordered by overseas markets.

" The famous fashion photographers Peter Lindbergh and Helena Christensen, who was once a super model, participated in producing the photo album. The publishing company added, "Around 150 staff members worked together to take pictures of actress Song Hae Kyo's most beautiful moments from her twenties to thirties and we have selected the best photos from the total of 400 photos." In addition, Chinese stars such as Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Yang Ziqiong, Wong Gaa Wa, and Wu Yusen left messages for Song -- well-established as a Hallyu star -- in the prologue.

The publishing company said, "Song Hae Kyo is preparing her second photo album in Korea, and part of the profits from the album sales will be donated to a children's foundation.

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January 25, 2011

Eight chilling days of 'White Christmas'

By Kwon Mee-yoo chungay@koreatimes.co.kr

Actors of “White Christmas” pose for a photo at a press conference in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

Late Sunday evenings will become spine-chilling at an isolated high school on KBS' "Drama Special: White Christmas" from this week.

Set in a private, elite high school deep in the mountains, the drama deals with a series of deaths, including murder and suicide that take place over eight days.

Seven students and a physical education instructor, as well as a psychiatrist who end up at the school after being hit by a car, spend eight days ― from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day ― together at the school.

Park Mu-yeol, played by Baek Sung-hyun, is an honor student who chooses to remain in school during the winter break after receiving an abusive letter. Baek appeared in movies such as “Marathon” (2005) and “My Boyfriend's Diary” (2006) and dramas including “Running” (2010).

Model-turned-actor Kim Young-kwang, also known as Young Kim, plays a detested boy Jo Yeong-jae who attacks other people to hide his inferiority complex. Another actor and model Lee Soo-hyuk plays a disturbed, but rich student leading a rock band. Model Esom is the only female among the cast. Her character Yu Eun-seong was once popular in school before turning after a sudden change of personality.

Veteran actor Kim Sang-kyung of "The Great King Sejong" (2008) will perform the role of Kim Yo-han, the injured psychologist. The drama aims to shed light on evil. "The students are cut off from the outside world and in unstable conditions. What if pure evil absorbs them?’” Park Yeon-seon, scriptwriter of the drama, said. "We will discuss whether evil is organic or environmental."

Park is best known for her 2006 SBS drama “Alone in Love,” which portrayed the delicate emotions of a divorced couple. The average height of the actors in "White Christmas" is 186 centimeters, well above the average Korean man's height.

Park the scriptwriter said height was one of the important factors in casting actors for the drama, at a press conference, Monday. "We can emphasize posture, height and looks of our drama, the director and I joked," Park said. "This might be the drama composed of the tallest actors." She added that using rookie actors, instead of veterans, could bring freshness to the drama.

According to Park, high school students are at a volatile stage. “Possibility and anxiety coexist at this time. The balance of both body and mind wavers amid growth. They can be extremely empathetic as well as equally cruel,” Park said.

"White Christmas" is part of KBS' attempt to bring diversity to the Korean drama scene.

KBS executive producer Lee Gang-hyun said they revived one-act dramas through "Drama Special" last year and the result was good. "As an extension of the successful results, we are introducing four-episode and eight-episode dramas. ‘Drama Special’ will create the seed of well-made dramas, differentiating from other dramas only seeking high ratings," Lee said.

The series will continue as a four-episode romantic comedy in March.

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January 26, 2011

(Movie Review) 'Children,' an investigative thriller on missing kids

By Kim Boram brk@yna.co.kr yonhapnews.co.kr

SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- On a fine March day in 1991, five elementary school boys from a small village in Daegu, a city 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, strolled out to a neighborhood mountain to catch frogs. And they never came back.

As days passed, it became clear that the boys, second- to sixth-graders, were not out having fun. The search turned frantic as the police, soldiers and villagers looked again and again for any clues that could tell where they had gone. The searches were broadcast live on television. The children were found 11 years later, reduced to bones, buried in a village hill, after an anonymous caller tipped the police on where they should dig.

The kids, dubbed "frog boys," are one of the country's most painful and sensational cold cases. The state of limitations had run out in 2006.

The movie "Children" directed by Lee Kyu-man is a mystery thriller about a TV producer, a psychology professor and a detective who investigate the case on their own. The plot is simple, and the narrative succeeds in keeping the audience focused on the story. Bits of humor were worked into the story, giving the audience relief when needed. But the movie's conclusion may be its trap. It is based on a true story, but the movie ends with the killer getting caught, combining reality with fiction in a not-so-natural way.

In the movie, five years after the boys' disappearance, Ji-seung (Park Yong-woo), a young ambitious producer of a Seoul TV broadcaster, is sent to Daegu after he is caught fabricating parts of a documentary. He is determined to get a scoop on the mystery case and proudly return to Seoul. He meets a psychology professor, Woo-hyuk (Ryoo Seung-ryong), who points to the parents of one of the missing boys as main suspects, using his psychology theory.

Ji-seung and Woo-hyuk join hands to try to prove that Jong-ho's father and mother killed the children. But their attempt clashes with Kyung-shik (Sung Dong-il), a veteran detective from a local police station who is the lead investigator of the case. His intuition tells him that a stranger who is familiar with the village and enjoys killing people committed the crime, not the parents.

Ji-seung and Woo-hyuk ransack Jong-ho's house, digging out the stone floor and emptying the toilet, hoping to find the buried bodies of the children, with scores of village residents, reporters and police officers watching. But the search ends in vain, and the two are slammed for insulting the parents.

The movie flashes forward to 2002 when the bones of the five children are found at a hill near the village. A forensic doctor concludes that they were killed in a cruel way, probably by a psychopath. Ji-seung runs after the killer after getting a tip from Kyung-shik, who had suspected him all along but could not make an arrest, lacking critical evidence.

The film's overall narrative is easy to follow, showing how the investigation was conducted and failed, but the link between Woo-hyuk and Ji-seung seems less plausible, as the audience has to wonder why the duo are so obsessed about their initial suspicion of the parents.

When Ji-seung confronts the murderer who is working at a slaughterhouse, tension peaks. Chills run through the body in an ensuing fight between them. But at the end, finding the murderer when the actual case remains unsolved hurts the sense of reality.

"Children," produced by Noori Pictures and distributed by Lotte Entertainment, is set for cinema release on Feb. 17.

Actors Park Yong-woo (L) and Ryu Seung-ryong ®, co-stars of movie "Children" speak at a press conference Jan. 25. (Yonhap)

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January 26, 2011

[KoreaToday] 'Secret Garden' leaves fairytale love story

By Kwon Mee-yoo meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr

Poster of SBS drama “Secret Garden” symbolizes the magical, soul-switching love story of Kim Ju-won

(Hyun Bin), left, and Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won)./ Courtesy of SBS

Viewers were invited to a secret garden where a magical, soul-switching love story of a rich but arrogant president of a department store Kim Ju-won (Hyun Bin) and a brave stunt woman Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won) was told through SBS drama “Secret Garden.”

Viewers were glued to the small screen for two months as they fell in love, exchanging souls whenever it rained. Though its last episode was aired last week with Kim and Gil living happily with three children, the impressions the drama instilled seems to linger in the viewers’ minds.

Magician with words

Scriptwriter Kim Eun-sook created the modern version of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

She created many hit phrases in popular dramas such as the “Lovers” series — “Lovers in Paris” (2004), “Lovers in Prague” (2005) and “Lovers” (2007) — and “On Air” (2008). She is the winner of the 41st Baek Sang Arts Awards in 2005.

The most famous line of “Secret Garden” might be Kim’s “Is this the best? Are you sure?” As he was the CEO of a department store, Kim often asked his junior employees if what they were doing was the best and the phrase soon became popular.

Kim wore training gear sparkling with spangles or in leopard-print and that clothing also became a big hit. In the drama, Kim says they were “sewed on stitch by stitch by Italian masters” and the line produced many copies.

Scene stealers

A good script was not all “Secret Garden” offered. In addition to the excellent acting of Hyun and Ha, the supporting characters played important roles.

Hallyu or Korean wave star Oscar played by actor Yoon Sang-hyun, was one of them.

Lee Sang-mi, 27, an office worker, said she became addicted to the comic lines and situations of “Secret Garden.” “My favorite character in the drama is Oscar the singer. Though he is set up as a celebrated singer dominating Korea, Japan and other Asian countries, he is somewhat careless, but unchanging,” Lee said.

“He constantly says he is a competent singer, but in his personal life, he breaks up with his lover, Yun Seul, played by actress Kim Sa-rang, because of minor misunderstandings. Such episodes made Oscar’s character more human.”

Books in ’Secret Garden’

The drama also created a craze for the books that appeared in the drama.

Lee, the 27-year-old fan of the drama, said she was amazed that the author made a poem out of the title of the books.

“Not a line was meaningless. At first, I did not pay attention to the books, but when I later understood what they meant, I was impressed,” she said.

Five collections of poems on Kim’s bookshelf are zoomed in on. It read “An indifferently clear day,” “Someone walking in my mind,” “Once I depended on coincidence,” “My melancholy, precious person,” and “You flew over wrong.” When read together, the titles create a poem by themselves.

Economic effect

“Secret Garden” was a big success financially. It is estimated to have an economic effect worth 20 billion won.

All slots for commercials of the 20 episodes were completely sold out, making some 8.2 billion won.

Its soundtrack was also popular. Singer Baek Ji-young’s “That Woman” and 4Men’s “Here I Am” gained popularity. The hottest song would be “That Man,” a version of “That Woman,” sung by Hyun himself.

A concert featuring the drama’s soundtrack was also a success, making about 200 million won. Various merchandise based on “Secret Garden” has also been produced including comic books based on the story and a calendar with scenes from the drama.

It even released applications for smartphones, available both at Apple’s App Store and Android Market. The application featured previews and full clips of the drama and has been downloaded more than 60,000 times.

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January 27, 2011

Ha reflects on the success of ‘Secret Garden’

Actress said she wanted to bring viewers into fantasy world and fall in love with characters

By Kang Hye-ran [estyle@joongang.co.kr] joongangdaily.com

Korean actress Ha Ji-won touched hearts across Korea with her character Gil Ra-im in the popular drama series

“Secret Garden,” which came to an end on Jan. 16. [JoongAng Photo]

The popular television show “Secret Garden” may have come to an end on Jan. 16, but actress Ha Ji-won’s character - heroine Gil Ra-im - still lives on in viewers’ memories.

The show is centered around Gil - a poor but talented stunt woman - and Kim Joo-won, a department store owner (played by Hyun Bin), who does not believe in love. Their souls swap after drinking a love potion and they eventually fall in love.

Since production of “Secret Garden” ended Jan. 16, the day of the finale, Ha has had only one day off. “It feels like I just woke up from a dream,” Ha said during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo. “I’m still waking up.”

She also said it was stressful shooting the show. “I was tired and tense during production,” Ha said. “Until the director yelled ‘cut’ and the tension melted away, the stress became sickness. But the tension still lingers. “I need some time away. A trip would be great. I like being in unfamiliar places and looking at unfamiliar skies.”

“Secret Garden” ended with Kim Joo-won and Gil Ra-im getting married and having three kids, despite strong objection from Joo-won’s mother. The ending could be considered rather flat for a fantasy story, but weeks after the finale, the show still has people buzzing.

“If ‘Secret Garden’ didn’t have a happy ending, I would be in even worse condition. Thank God,” Ha said. “I related to the character so well that my friends even texted me saying ‘Gil Ra-im, you have been making my life bright lately,’” Ha said. “From 80-year-old women to 5-year-old children, people recognize me on the street. I get big smiles everywhere I go - like how Kim Joo-won smiles to Gil Ra-im in the show. I went to the sauna a couple days ago and people there told me how much they enjoyed the show. Then I realized how popular it was.”

In “Secret Garden,” Ha Ji-won (right), and Hyun Bin, fall in love with each other after their souls are repeatedly swapped. Provided by SBS

Ha immediately fell in love with the story when she read the script. “I like fantasy movies like the ‘Twilight’ series and ‘Alice in Wonderland,’” Ha said.

The plot of “Secret Garden” was unrealistic in every sense of the word - but viewers seemed to relate with the characters. “I worried at first if middle aged women would like the story. I wanted to bring them into a fantasy world and have them fall in love,” Ha said. “I thought if I acted real enough, I could blur the boundary between fiction and reality.”

To prepare for scenes when the characters’ souls get swapped, she would listen to recordings of Hyun Bin’s voice for hours on end. She studied him endlessly. She observed Kim Joo-won - everything from the way he sits to his peculiar smile. “Every time I looked into a mirror, I hypnotized my self, ‘I am Kim Joo-won.’ I don’t know if people noticed, but I tried to imitate Hyun Bin’s eyes,” she said.

Viewers connected with the down-to-earth actress.

“It was exactly what I was going for. If a female character is too perfect and pretty, viewers will be jealous and they wouldn’t have sympathized with Ra-im as much as they did. So I tried to be as ordinary as possible. If I wanted to look pretty and gorgeous, I wouldn’t have picked this character,” she said. “People say I make the male character more likable when he makes my heart ache.”

Television viewers are envious of her, often telling her that she “must have saved the world” to have the opportunity to work with Korea’s top actors.

“When I’m in front of the camera, I only see the character, so I don’t see it in terms of working with famous and beautiful people. Only after I see the end result do I realize how lucky I was to work with them,” she said.

Looking at her filmography, it is clear that everything Ha touches turns to gold. She was involved with hit television shows on all three major broadcasting stations, MBC’s “Damo” (2003), SBS’s “What Happened in Bali” (2004) and KBS’s “Hwangjinee” (2006).

Ha said she is carefully picking out her next role.

“The script is the most important thing for me when I am picking a role,” she said. “I choose what I can really enjoy. I never have second thoughts after I make up my mind.”

Ha’s best attribute - the reason directors seek her out - is her character versatility. “She is a tomboy type but has sexy eyes. She can play anyone,” said director Yoon Jae-gyun, who worked with her on three movies.

Ha said she likes the action involved in acting, setting her apart from many other actresses. She even does her own stunt work, which she had a lot of opportunities to do in Secret Garden because the main character was a stunt woman.

“My ideal female role model is someone who is not fragile - someone who is independent and charismatic. I want to keep doing action scenes like Angelina Jolie.”

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January 27, 2011

Sean, Jung Hye-young Expect 4th Child

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

Jung Hye-young (left) and Sean

Singer Sean and actress Jung Hye-young will be adding one more child to their family in August. They already have a daughter and two sons.

The couple are known for their charitable activities including sponsorship of more than 200 children in Korea and abroad as goodwill ambassadors for a children's charity.

Sean and Jeong Hye Young to Have Fourth Child

Source:

KBS Global

The most popular "good-deed couple," singer Sean and actress Jeong Hye Young, will deliver their fourth child. A close friend of the couple said on January 26, "Jeong is expecting her fourth child, and she is in the third month of pragnancy. The expected delivery date will be around August."

The couple already has three children, Ha Eum, Ha Rang, and Ha Yeul, and the couple is the representative star couple who has many children. A person in the entertainment industry said, "Sean and Jeong, who have actively participated in many good deeds so far by taking care of poor children through the Christian child sponsorship organization named Compassion International, has become another good example of having many children in this age of low fertility."

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January 27, 2011

Actor Hyun Bin is on the rise in America, too

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

Top Korean TV actor Hyun Bin, 29, the hero of SBS drama ‘Secret Garden,’ which ended on Jan. 16, is also successful in grabbing girls’ hearts in America.

He was the center of attention for his handsome face and polite manner when filming “Manchu” (The Late Autumn) with Chinese actress Tang Wei, 31, in Seattle, Wash. Even though the production staff are all foreigners excluding the director, art director, cinematographer, makeup director, all the women at the scene loved him, according to news reports of local media.

He was recognized for his charm last September at the Toronto Film Festival and awed all the women spectators. The staff were startled from the massive reaction they got from audience who watched the film.

Meanwhile, this is a remake of the original work in the same name produced by director Lee Man-hee in 1966, a story about a women who was sent to prison after killing her husband relating the incident to a man she happened to meet on a bus during a 72-hour parole.

‘The Late Autumn’ was sold out in five seconds after reservation sales at the 15th Pusan International Film Festival. It has also been invited to participate in the ‘forum’ division of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival slated for Feb. 11-20 and the official competition division of the Fribourg International Film Festival slated for March 19-26 in Switzerland.

January 26, 2011

Hyunbin : Advertisement King

Source:

KBS Global

His face and name are plastered everywhere: newspapers, television, radio, the internet. Though many may already be sick of hearing the two syllable word, here's another bit of news just proving this young actor's popularity. Hyunbin is rising the ranks to establish himself as the "CF King" -- CF being what Koreans call commercials.

After the drama "Secret Garden", Hyunbin has scored at least another six endorsement contracts. One of these contracts include being the model for Duty-Free which ensures that he'll get coverage not only in Korea, but in other Asian countries as well.

Other companies that are trying to bank on the "Hyunbin Syndrome" include clothing ware, beverages, and home appliances. In fact, one clothing brand only worked with international models up until recently, when they signed Hyunbin as their new face.

One men's cosmetics brand quickly created a new commercial when they saw the popularity of "Secret Garden" and its character of Kim Joo-won. The commercial features a man with an icy exterior with the caption stating "A rude and arrogant man. Secret Garden's Kim Joo-won".

If you combine his new additional contracts with existing ones, and the re-signing of old ones, the young star is estimated to have earned about 4 billion won in advertisement alone! This is quite notable because Hyunbin faces his looming military service. However, rather than having a detrimental effect on his career, his mandatory hiatus is serving as a positive factor. This is because he has decided to enlist in the most challenging sector of the Korean military: the marine corp. This has improved his image as a star with a sense of duty and responsibility. Thus companies are that much more hungry to lock in Hyunbin as the face for their products.

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January 25, 2011

Director Yoon thriving in dream job

Debut film ‘Heartbeat’ draws more than 1 million

By Claire Lee (clairelee@heraldm.com) koreaherald.com

Film director Yoon Jae-geun has done a lot in the last 10 years.

He studied art, made TV commercials for ramen and department stores, traveled across Europe, learned how to make films overseas, wrote movie scripts, and never gave up on becoming what he is today. “I watched ‘Star Wars’ when I was in fifth grade,” the 44-year-old director told The Korea Herald. “Ever since, I’ve always wanted to make something like that.”

He has finally done it ― and successfully at that. Both written and directed by Yoon, his debut film “Heartbeat” had attracted more than 1 million viewers by Monday. Just over two weeks after its release on Jan. 5, it was the first film this year to draw that many viewers.

Starring Kim Yoon-jin and Park Hae-il, “Heartbeat” tells the story of two people from different social classes fighting over one pounding heart ― to save what matters to them the most.

Director Yoon Jae-geun says his debut film, “Heartbeat,” is not simply a tearjerker. (Lee Sang-sub/ The Korea Herald)

The film’s major conflict begins as Yeon-hee (Kim Yoon-jin), a well-off single mother whose daughter is suffering from a fatal heart disease, finds a brain-dead female patient at the hospital.

As the only way to save her daughter’s life is with a heart transplant, she offers Hui-do (Park Hae-il), the woman’s unemployed gangster son, a large sum of money to give up his mother’s life for her child. As her daughter’s condition worsens, Yeon-hee becomes increasingly irrational, losing her moral judgment and sensitivity to others’ needs.

Such an extreme setting, Yoon said, reflects his bitter experiences of the last 10 years. He portrays the “selfish desires” he saw clashing against one another in his movie characters. “I’ve heard so many people saying, ‘you won’t be able to succeed by being nice,’ and that one has to win against someone in order to be happy,” Yoon said. “I wanted to see if that was true or not.”

Yoon, who majored in industrial design at Hanyang University, worked as a TV commercial director for about five years after graduating. “I really hated the job and there was nothing rewarding about it,” said Yoon. “I quit after working for about five years because I thought I wouldn’t be able to make the films that I wanted to make if I stayed in that field.”

So Yoon took off to Europe and traveled for more than a year. Then he moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he studied film at Vancouver Film School. He returned to Seoul a year later. Yoon first broke into the film industry as an assistant screenwriter for 2001 film “The Present,” a tragic romance starring actress Lee Young-ae.

Since then, he has written scripts for various films, including “Springtime” (2004) and “Hello Schoolgirl” (2008). Though he did not particularly enjoy any of his previous jobs, Yoon said all his past experiences help in film-making. “I learned what it is like to be in the filming scene while making TV commercials. As a screenwriter I learned to be more receptive to other people’s opinions.”

And art school graduate Yoon put a lot of effort into the characters costumes in “Heartbeat.” “I thought ‘Heartbeat’ was more of a character-based film rather than a visual one,” Yoon said. “So I tried not to make the piece too aesthetically stimulating. As a result, the only element in the film where I could use my artistic ability was the character’s clothes.”

In the movie, Kim Yoon-jin wears subtle toned expensive-looking outfits, while Park Hae-il appears in colorful sporty clothes. “The color contrast was to symbolize their class differences,” he said.

Yoon said he does not what his film to be simply considered as a tearjerker with a happy ending. “I want the movie to trigger debates and talks,” he said. “There are a lot of cultural and social problems (between classes) that I’ve embedded in this movie. I feel like these elements are not being recognized as the basic plot of the movie is too dramatic.”

He has put many thoughts into his characters, especially in ways to symbolize the social classes they belong to. “I made Yeon-hee into a Christian woman who owns and manages an English language kindergarten,” he said. “It was a conscious decision. I think there are a few key words that explain a certain class of people: English education, church, Gangnam, etc.”

Being a newly-debuted director, Yoon confessed he is not used to receiving reviews. “When I’m making a movie, I just do whatever I want,” he said. “But once it’s out there after being released, the third party gets involved and sometimes gets critical of my work. That’s the hardest part. I do get sensitive and I get hurt.”

Yoon said he would like to make his next film a visually oriented piece. “I’ve studied art and it is in my DNA,” he said. “I want my next piece to be extremely cinematic and visually pleasing, rather than character-driven like ‘Heartbeat.’”

So what is it like being what he’s always wanted to be?

“Sometimes it’s even better than I’d thought it would be, while it can be also disappointing at times,” he said.

“But of course I like it. I’ve always, always liked films.”

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January 27, 2011

Box Office Rankings

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

Domestic

1. Glove

2. Megamind (U.S.A.)

3. Hello Ghost

4. Love and Other Drugs (U.S.A.)

5. Season of the Witch (U.S.A.)

Poster for “Glove”

United States

1. No Strings Attached

2. The Green Hornet

3. The Dilemma

4. The King’s Speech

5. True Grit

'Glove' screening for hearing impaired

Source: koreatimes.co.kr

“Glove,” based on a true story about hearing impaired boys playing competitive baseball, is being screened with Korean subtitles for the hearing impaired in local theaters.

The special version of the sports drama is being offered in select theaters across the country: Megabox Coex, CGV Yongsan and CGV Wangsimni (Seoul); CGV Incheon, CGV Ansan, Cinus Ichae and Lotte Cinema La Festa (Gyeonggi Province); CGV Daegu and Lotte Cinema Yulha (Daegu); CGV Chuncheon and Primus Gangneung (Gangwon Province); Lotte Cinema Daejeon; Cinus Gwangju Sangmu and Gwangju Hanam; CGV Seomyeon (Busan); Primus Wonju; and CGV Jeju and Cinus Jeju.

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January 28, 2011

Song Hye-kyo Returns to Spotlight with Photobook

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

Actress Song Hye-kyo is releasing a glamorous photobook of her shot by several top photographers including the fashion world's Peter Lindbergh and supermodel-turned-photographer Helena Christensen.

The first of its kind by a Korean actress, the book entitled "Moment" is to be released Friday with proceeds to be donated to an organization for children. Pre-orders have already been placed overseas for over half of the limited first run of 2,000 copies.

Song, 28, was hardly seen on TV after the 2008 drama "The World That They Live In," instead participating mostly in small-scale independent films and overseas projects.

She appeared in the episode "Love for Sale" of the omnibus film "Camellia," which screened at last year's Pusan International Film Festival. She also made her overseas debut with the U.S. indie film "Make Yourself at Home," and played a role in renowned director Wong Kar-wai's new film "The Grand Master."

In between these productions she worked on the photobook, staying overseas for several months to shoot. The book features photos of the actress taken in locations around the world, including Atlanta, New York, Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Paris, the Netherlands and Brazil.

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January 28, 2011

(Movie Review) Seasoned actors show love, old style

By Kim Boram brk@yna.co.kr yonhapnews.co.kr

SEOUL, Jan. 28 (Yonhap) -- When you fall in love, your world turns brighter because of your sweetheart and you tingle all over. And that feeling will be the same even when you get old, as attested by the movie "I Love You."

Directed by Choo Chang-min, the movie is based on a popular online cartoon of the same title written by Kang Pool. The stage adaptation of the hit cartoon has been one of the steadiest plays in years since it premiered in 2008.

The film follows two senior couples who start love and develop their emotions as time passes. To say that older people can love as deeply as young ones is needless in this day and age, but not many can deliver the message so strongly.

A stubborn, foul-mouthed milkman Man-seok (Lee Soon-jae) meets I-pun (Yoon So-jeong), who makes a living by selling scraps she picks up off the streets, on one snowy day. He helps her down an icy slope with her handcart, and small talk leads to serious love gradually budding between the two. Man-seok writes a letter to ask I-pun out on a date and gives her a birthday present.

The feelings of love bring out laughter from a man who only knew how to cuss.

Gun-bong (Song Jae-ho) is a small-time valet parking attendant who devotedly looks after his senile wife suffering from dementia, bearing the monotony of feeding her dinner every day. When his wife gets lost, he searches frantically for her and sheds warm tears after discovering that she is safe. He tells her, as he always does, that he will never let her leave him.

Romances between low-income elderly people are no magnet for young viewers, but the movie is still warm. Their love is truly human in character and feelings, and good humor is woven into the plot to make the audience smile. Although the film's storyline is relatively simple and plain, the film's four veteran actors and actresses put on a splendid display of acting to enliven the movie while adding their own individual characteristics to it.

"When I read Kang's cartoon, I was anxious to make it into a film," said director Choo. "I tried to create more colorful characters than those in the online cartoon."

"I Love You," produced by Saint Paul Cinema and distributed by Next Entertainment World, is set for cinema release on Feb. 17.

Director Choo Chang-min (L) and actors and actresses of movie "I Love You" speak at a press premier on Jan. 27. (Yonhap)

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January 28, 2011

Hyun Bin Stops Traffic in Downtown Seoul

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

Traffic in downtown Seoul snarled last Saturday when legions of fans of heartthrob Hyun Bin swarmed to a department store there. Hyun, star of the recent hit soap "Secret Garden," was due to arrive at Lotte Department Store in Myeongdong in the afternoon to sign autographs to promote men's cosmetics line Laneige Homme. Even though his arrival was not advertised, his fans caught on somehow and formed a queue that stretched through the lobby of an adjacent hotel and into the subway station down the street.

Some had spent the night in the subway station braving sub-zero temperatures. The event had been scheduled just two weeks before and the store decided not to advertise it due to safety concerns. But posts on Hyun's fan sites about the event set phones at the cosmetics company ringing off the hook.

Rumors spread that only VIP customers would be given autographs or that people had to buy at least W100,000 or even W300,000 worth of makeup to get his autograph.

As the 10:30 a.m. opening approached, more and more people began to gather around the department store, making it difficult for staff to open for business. A separate waiting area for fans was set up. Huge groups of Japanese tourists who had heard about the event and flew all the way over also converged on the store.

Fans pack the street in front of Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong, Seoul to get an autograph of actor Hyun Bin

on Saturday. /Courtesy of Laneige Homme

The fans were given numbered pieces of paper, but the 110 available tickets ran out almost immediately.

Hyun appeared at 2 p.m. as scheduled. The throngs of fans plus weekend shoppers threw the department store into chaos. The cosmetics company hired 20 bodyguards, five accompanied Hyun, and the department store deployed all of its own security personnel. The event lasted for 55 minutes. A total of 130 people received Hyun's autographs, including around 20 VIP customers.

"I knew Hyun Bin's popularity was skyrocketing, but I didn't think it was this much," said a staffer who was responsible for organizing the event. "It's amazing that we got through the event without major accidents."

[rubie]

January 28, 2011

Cast members of TV drama "Dream High" pose on the set of the show in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. From left, Ok Taek-yeon, Ham Eun-jung, Bae Soo-ji and Kim Soo-hyun /Newsis

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

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January 28, 2011

Won Bin: 'I Will Improve Myself to Shine as Actor My Entire Life'

Source: KBS Global

Hallyu star Won Bin garnered a special award at the award ceremony for the “Japan Jewelry Best Dresser” held at the Tokyo Big Sight International Exhibition Center on January 26.

The award ceremony selects the “celebrities who go well with jewelry” in different age groups from teenagers to sixties every year, and Won Bin received the special award at this year’s event. Won Bin gave his thoughts, saying, “When a good stone has been polished enough for a long time, it becomes a glittering jewel. Like this, I want to become an actor who continuously polishes myself and becomes a glittering actor for my entire life."

In addition, the Administrative Reform Minister Renho was selected in the category of female special award, but she could not participate in the ceremony due to the recent spread of Avian influenza. In last year’s award ceremony, Hallyu star Lee Byung Hun and Miyuki Hatoyama, who is the wife of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, had garnered the special awards.

[rubie]

January 27, 2011

Missing 'Children' case turns into stilted drama

By Lee Hyo-won hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

A scene from “Children,” which is based on a true, unsolved case of five boys who were found murdered.

/ Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

The difficulty of dramatizing true stories lies in harnessing the facts to creative ends, so that it doesn’t stop short of mimicking documentaries.

Lee Kyu-man’s “Children,” based on an unresolved and much emotionally invested murder of five boys, deserves kudos for its delicate approach to adapting the sensitive issue onscreen — and the process is made all the more convincing by its cast of fiendishly talented actors and atmospheric mise-en-scene.

The film’s very strengths, however, end up betraying its own cinematic potential. What begins as a speedy and rhythmic psychological drama, complete with dashes of humor and biting social commentary, loses momentum as it trades in too much of its dramatic factors for some lackluster suspense.

In 1991 Daegu, five elementary schoolchildren go missing after setting off in search of salamander. Two years later, these so-called “frog boys” are still nowhere to be found and the case is fading into oblivion — save for the occasional reports that they were abducted by aliens and such — until an ambitious television producer decides to give the case a new spin.

Park Yong-woo shines in his role as Kang, who, disgraced and demoted to the Daegu office for staging parts of his award-winning documentary, takes an interest in the case while searching for a catchy story to restore his glory. During his research he takes notice of a renowned psychology professor Hwang (played by Ryu Seung-ryong, who never disappoints), who suggests that one of the children’s parents may be responsible for the crime.

The clues seem to support the controversial theory — two months since the boys go missing, one of the mothers (a marvelously disheveled Kim Yeo-jin) receives a phone call from her son, Jong-ho, but sounds less than enthusiastic in the recorded conversation and “fails” to press a button that would trace the caller’s location, while her husband (a genuinely heartbroken Seong Ji-ru) seems bizarrely nervous when the conniving duo pays a visit to their house. Kang jumps right in what seems to be a fast ticket to fame, and decides to test out the professor’s claim that the boys are buried beneath Jong-ho’s newly cemented bathroom floor.

“Children” begins with a captivating opening sequence, featuring a red cape belonging to one of the boys flapping gently in the breeze, winged by a poignant musical theme. In his second feature film since the 2007 thriller “Return,” Lee stylishly skips over unnecessary details — “This is a runaway case, not a disappearance,” a policeman coldly tells the parents when they report their children, while authorities begin an extensive search after waiting four long months.

Instead of resorting to tragic melodrama about a family’s loss or whodunit detective story, the film opts to focus on the nature of human desire and how two career-driven men use the missing boys for their personal ambitions.

After making such a speedy, bold and promising beginning, however, the film begins to falter through its slow, disjointed latter section that gives way to some rather unimpressive thrills and sappy scores.

“Children” initially succeeds in capturing the dynamics between characters, as expected of a well-orchestrated psychological thriller, but for some reason decides to skip over much of the profound tensions between Kang and Jong-ho’s accused father that seem central to the suspense. At one point Kang learns to truly sympathize with the missing children and tries to search for the criminal himself — a transformation that is not entirely convincing.

Seong Dong-il, as a devoted police officer, on the other hand, brings girth and weight to somewhat tame the film’s remarkable flaws. Moreover, viewers are not at a complete loss as they are invited to a sleepy rural village and sense firsthand the haunting effects of an event that has altered its fate.

In 2002, the boys’ remains were discovered in a nearby forest and autopsy results show that they were murdered. But the statute of limitations expired in 2006, and the case remains unresolved. Knowing this, a chilling sense of loss is bound to pervade long after the credits roll.

In theaters Feb. 17. Distributed by Lotte Entertainment.Two-and-a-half stars out of four.

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January 28, 2011

Hong retrospective to be held at Harvard

By Ines Min chungay@koreatimes.co.kr

Acclaimed director Hong Sang-soo will be featured in a retrospective at Harvard University’s Film Archive from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7.

Hosted in conjunction with the university’s Korea Institute, the retrospective "Play it as it Lays" will screen eight of the director’s 11 works.

Earlier films such as "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" (1996), "The Power of Kangwon Province" (1998) and "Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors" (2000) will play, as well as the 2010 "Hahaha" and "Oki's Movie." "Hahaha" gained recognition in the West after winning the Prix Un Certain Regard at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Hong will also present his works in person on Feb. 4 and 5.

This is the film archive’s third year to introduce a Korean director through the school. The archive featured Bong Joon-ho ("Mother") last year and Lee Chang-dong ("Poetry") in 2009.

The Korea Film Council supplied English subtitles to "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" and three other films for the event.

Born in Seoul in 1960, Hong studied filmmaking at Chungang University and earned degrees from both the California College of the Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago.

After returning to Korea, he taught screenwriting and began his filmmaking career. Since his first film,"The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well" he has been acclaimed as a prolific filmmaker both in Korea and internationally for his narrative style.

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January 30, 2011

Ryu Si-won now father of baby girl

Source: swchun@heraldm.com koreaherald.com

Hallyu star Ryu Si-won, 39, is now the father of a baby girl.

The birth comes three months after his marriage to Jo Soo-in, 33, on Oct. 26.

Jo gave birth to a healthy baby girl around 5:40 p.m. on Jan. 27, his management agency said.

Weeks before their wedding, he surprised his fans by saying that he would be a father next year.

Ryu debuted in 1994 as a KBS actor and has gained popularity for acting in a variety of dramas. In 2004, he went to Japan and earned the status of hallyu star along with Bae Yong-joon.

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January 30, 2011

Jang's Japan single ranks No. 1 in online pre-orders

By Ines Min inesmin@koreatimes.co.kr

Actor and model Jang Geun-suk’s debut single in Japan has reached the top of major online store HMV pre-order rankings, agency Tree J Company announced Saturday.

“Jang Geun-suk Maxi Single” isn’t scheduled for release until Feb. 23 but the “hallyu” (Korean wave) star has garnered anticipation in the neighboring country. The limited edition version snatched the top spot while the single’s regular release took No. 2.

“Jang’s popularity in Japan grew from the airing of the drama ‘You’re Beautiful,’” said a spokesman for the releasing record label Pony Canyon. “And it grew to this level as he toured the entire country last year.”

The 23-year-old actor will return to the island nation Feb. 27, following the single’s release, to host a large-scale show at the convention center Tokyo Big Sight. The hall holds a total of 15,000 seats.

Jang first made his debut on screen in a 1997 sitcom before gaining a known presence through the 2009 SBS drama “You’re Beautiful.” His last role was in KBS’ “Mary Stayed Out All Night.”

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January 31, 2011

Glam picture book

By Seo Ji-eun joongangdaily.com

Song Hye-kyo, an actress part of the Korean Wave, or hallyu, released last Friday a luxurious photo-collection book of herself costing 120,000 won ($108).

In the book, titled “Song Hye-kyo’s Moment,” Song poses in France, Italy, the United States and Argentina for artists like Peter Lindbergh and Helena Christensen, the publisher said. The collection covers pictures from the last five years.

The first 2,000 copies have been published under a limited-edition label and more than half of them have been ordered overseas, the publisher said.

Best known for her appearance in “Autumn in My Heart” and “Full House” - megahit television dramas across Asia in the early 2000s - Song has recently gathered attention as actor Hyun Bin’s girlfriend.

Hyun Bin was recently seen in the recent hit television series “Secret Garden.”

Song Hye-kyo Signs Copies of New Book

Source: englishnews@

chosun.com

Actress Song Hye-kyo signs autographs at the launch of her photobook in Seoul on Friday. /Courtesy of APR Agency

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January 31, 2011

Actor Lee Seo-jin Turns Hand to Finance

Source: englishnews@chosun.com

Actor Lee Seo-jin has become a managing director at an asset management company.

A spokesman for Askveritas on Sunday said the firm hired Lee as managing director of the global contents division as of Monday.

Lee has a degree in business management from New York University. He returned to Korea to become an actor around 2000 and rose to stardom in TV soaps including "Yi San" and "Damo."

Both his grandfather and father are influential financial executives.