[drama 2004/5] The Immortal Lee Soon Shin 불멸의 이순신

I just finished watching it. WOW!!! 104episodes. What a great story. Soon Shin really loved his country and the people and sacrificed his life for them.

It's too bad that his King was a coward and a loser that surrounded himself with a bunch of greedy people that cared only for themselves. What a rotten bunch of leaders. Kind of reminds me of today!!!!!

March 3, 2009

I just finished watching it. WOW!!! 104episodes. What a great story. Soon Shin really loved his country and the people and sacrificed his life for them.

It's too bad that his King was a coward and a loser that surrounded himself with a bunch of greedy people that cared only for themselves. What a rotten bunch of leaders. Kind of reminds me of today!!!!!

I hear ya!!

The Joseon court needs some explanation. The King was supposed to lead and rule the country in theory, but Confucianism required that he be constantly "guided" and "advised" by his ministers, many of them senior to him and some of them his in-laws or even blood relatives. It didn't take long for the ministers to realize that their position was very powerful and that they could have a lot of control over things by controlling the King. Often times the King, being so busy in the palace, would be kept out of touch with the people and their daily lives and struggles and therefore not have an accurate picture of what was going on in his kingdom.

It went even better for the ministers if the King was weak, so usually, if the King showed any signs of having a real talent for ruling, they would depose him and replace him with someone easier to manipulate. Such was the case with Prince Kwanghae, who shows up in IYSS. When he finally came to the throne, he was a good king, but after a number of years, he was kicked out in favor of his brother Injo who could be twisted and turned any way his ministers pleased. Add to that the factionalism of the ministers, (Northerners, Southerners, Easterners, Westerners, etc.) and you have a very corrupt and treacherous court.

Only the strongest and cleverest of kings could ever hope to negotiate such a political mine field successfully, and some did. Even Seonjo started out as an idealistic and sensible boy king, but knowing about how the Joseon court worked makes it easier to see how he ended up the way he did. If you weren't weak in the first place, the ministers would either see that you became that way or take your throne away.

And yeah, it reminded me and my hubby a lot of today, too!

March 3, 2009

March 12, 2009

i dont know if you guys already know this...

but you can actually watch the video from MU with out downloading the file...

just click the View on Megavideo below the file name when you click the link. of course Mega upload link not the one with the links w/c are split links.

the catch is you can only consume 72minutes after that you had to wait 1hour or less to view or watch another video.

im now at episode 30. wohoo Yi soon shin the best!

April 5, 2009

Thanks for the links, Puela!
I have downloaded episodes 1-61 (through torrents) and will upload them on MU as single files for ease of downloading.
Will post the links here when done!

Anyone interested of joining the watch so we can discuss the drama together??

So far I have downloaded 1-50 but there are 2 parts missing to complete the following episodes. These 2 links are DEAD:

TILSS-E9.avi.004

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E1KPDJM7

TILSS-E10.avi.003

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FFN9OHFX

Could somebody Re-Up these parts Thanks so much!! Yang

April 7, 2009

May 29, 2006

Sageuk Classic 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) on DVD This Summer

Ahhh... the good news just keep piling up. And the wallet is crying already.

My crazy idea of frequenting the DC Inside Boards (The Soompi Forums of the Korean speaking Net, so to speak) with a little more, well, frequency seems to have finally paid off. We announced in the Fall of 2005 that a DVD release of last year's magnificent Historical Drama 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) -- which, like, ranked second on my Year End list behind only 부활 (Rebirth) -- would surface on DVD in an edited format, released over two boxsets. Time went by, and there were no significant news for months, until now.

Lee Soon-Shin will make it to DVD, finally. A regular of the DC Inside Lee Soon-Shin Board spent an evening with PD Lee Sung-Joo and writer Park Cheol-Min, talking about a variety of things, and then the DVD issue came up. Two months from now (that's July for you), an Edited Version of the Drama will be released on DVD, making a panorama of Admiral Lee Soon-Shin's early days, and then going full force on all the good stuff, 임진왜란 (Seven Year War) et al. Want even more good news? The OST of the Drama will be included in the package, which will release 'all in one' for a price of around 170,000 Won (which seems a lot, but just consider you'd pay a good 250 to 300 bucks for something like 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum) or 해신 (Emperor of the Sea), and frankly this baby smokes them both). I don't know about English Subs, but all the recent KBS Drama releases were with subs, so I wouldn't worry too much.

The only thing we need now is 신돈 (Shin Don) on DVD, and then it'll be heaven. Come on MBC...

http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/006382.html

July 29, 2006

불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) DVD Just Weeks Away

If you remember, we wrote a good 8-10 weeks ago that the classic Sageuk 불멸의 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) would be coming out on DVD. But then the initial date of July kept getting postponed, and I even heard conflicting reports on extras and various other things. Well, now the details are out, and there's good news, and slightly bad news.

Good news first: English (and Korean) subtitles! And Region All, so even if you don't have a Region-Free player, you're served. The bad news is that the release will be divided into two boxsets (even though the price is still around the expected 170,000 Won retail), and there doesn't seem to be much in the way of extras except a big Making of Documentary and various NG Collections. Still, this thing is so good just even getting an edited (33 Episodes, as we talked about before) version is fabulous.

Now the most important detail: release is set for August 17. And since we're there, here's a shot (Part 1, Part 2) of the package.

http://www.twitchfilm.net

Immortal Yi Soon-Shin Episodes 1-33 Box Set will be re-released on April 9, 2009 (12disc set)! YAY~

Looks like this edition doesn't include the OST....

http://www.madmad.co.kr/dvd/detail.html?dvd_id=53749

April 8, 2009

The rest of IYSS

I uploaded the links in blue. The rest are from the page 1 of this thread.

71 - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=R1LL8H95

72 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WEFIQQQX

73 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YYY8N4B8

74 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NLC35Y55

75 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UVWSSL2P

76 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0XB95EDG

77 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Y42X5QE2

78 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XCYQ1DNL

79 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4BLRSII8

80 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=T8VT9W68

81 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WNYTCCKA

82 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MNO3AUL8

83 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XIBPSEO4

84 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TS7SKLKY

85 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QV4QJC4T

86 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QC7W8KRS

87 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4U9WOKX0

88 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DQLLFDFL

89 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A70M1LZO

90 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=26IQG8DJ

91 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q7OEGHWB

92 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5JU030YB

93 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VV1TPTSI

94 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=S9367PW1

95 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8G7GWEML

96 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=H4F2FCVW

97 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8LVIPCA8

98 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EYS6VXOI

99 -http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TNW93PZZ

100-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GBCA6VT0

101-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FHHW0PFL

102-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VHKC501C

103-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DL626MPY

104-http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TAJLEVKM

April 9, 2009

Thankss a bunch for uploading this series..

I watched this series dl at d-addict, but my god, it takess dayss.lol; and it was shortened to like half the series's length.

so now i can watch it at orginal's length. The series is so good, a must wathcc..

Kim myung min, the actor is sooo good, he is one brilliant performer..

April 14, 2009

Source: Javabeans

MBC documentary special features Kim Myung-min
April 13th, 2009 // by javabeans

Kim Myung-min is probably the top actor in Korea right now, and is certain to go down as one of the greats of all time. He’s also an interesting case because he has come into stardom late into his career, but unlike so many other actors, the fervent appreciation for him comes almost solely from respect for his tremendous talent and work, not as a sex symbol or celebrity. (He’s certainly handsome, but I almost think of him in an asexual way.) You see the man for his acting skills much more than for his looks or general fame. Which is, I’m fairly certain, just the way he wants it.

The MBC special documentary called “Kim Myung-min Was Not There” was announced last month and aired over the weekend. (It was also a ratings hit, since 10% is impressive for a documentary feature.) It also gave quite an insight into the actor and his process, and is really a must-watch for anyone harboring acting aspirations.

SONG OF THE DAY

White Tower OST - “B Rossette” [ Download ]

First off, you can download this episode here: >> DOWNLOAD KIM MYUNG-MIN SPECIAL <<

(Note: The documentary was filmed a few months ago, but I’m going to use the present tense because, well, it makes things easier.)

Preparing to film “My Love By My Side”

The documentary starts by following Kim Myung-min from Seoul to the set location where he is shooting his latest film, My Love By My Side [내사랑 내곁에], which features the actor as a man dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease. The role co-stars Ha Ji-won and had originally cast Kwon Sang-woo, who then dropped out. The documentary then backtracks to Kim’s noteworthy previous characters, and traces how he rose to his current fame.

Kim normally weighs 72 kg, but for this role, he had determined to lose weight to correspond to the character’s deteriorating health. As he arrives in the city where they are to film, he has lost 3 kg and eats his last proper meal with his manager.

When he starts filming, we get to see that his preparation goes much deeper than one may have guessed. The first sign comes when he dresses for the shoot (in the early stages of his disease, the character is attending a funeral, where he reconnects with Ha Ji-won, whom he’d known in childhood). He voices a concern regarding the watch on his left wrist — wouldn’t this be too heavy for an arm that is beginning to be afflicted with paralysis? Kim raises his arm a few times to gauge the weight. In the end, he leaves the watch off.

The next moment comes when putting on his black shoes, left slightly dusty to appear worn. Kim takes a brush to wipe clean one shoe — but only the right shoe. Along with his left arm, his left foot is in the early stages of paralysis, and the character will be dragging the foot along, keeping the left shoe scuffed.

Kim explains that he’s not sure whether the shoes will be in the frame, but there’s always the chance it will be caught in a passing shot, and it’s a meaningful point.

The documentary producer asks Kim, does he think the director will notice? Kim’s answer:

Kim Myung-min: “Whether the director knows or not, it doesn’t matter, it’s something I do anyway. That’s something the actor has to create. That part is the actor’s job. A character isn’t born just based on what’s written down. It’s because I am Lee Soon-shin [of Immortal Lee Soon-shin], it’s because I am Maestro Kang [of Beethoven Virus], it’s because I am Jang Jun-hyuk [of White Tower].”

“White Tower”

Even for an actor’s actor, his level of detail startles his colleagues.

Han Sang-jin from White Tower: “He’s an actor who places a lot of thought into realism. In a surgery scene, he was like a real doctor, tying and suturing for real with his own hands. We had an instructor who had been consulting for us, and he was so shocked to see that.”

Kim explains character work as part of a process of giving the overall work credibility:

Kim Myung-min: “What’s most important is that [Kim's character] Jang Jun-hyuk is a brilliant surgeon. Given that, the reality of surgery adds or takes away from the essence of the drama. It’s the difference between whether viewers will be absorbed in the drama or not. …

“I worked hard to understand the process of surgery, using medical terminology and coming across as a real surgeon. On top of that, I have to express emotion while letting my hands move, freely but also in precise timing. It’s not something that can be done by practicing the hand movements separately, or the dialogue separately. I have to remember each part, to act a certain way at a certain part, and continually rehearse on my own. It’s something that required me to rehearse enough that I could do it without looking. And even then it’s difficult.”

Co-star Lee Seon-kyun (above) says, laughingly:

Lee Seon-kyun: “He hardly makes NG scenes. It adds a lot of pressure on his fellow actors, because he doesn’t make mistakes. He ought to make a few mistakes and lighten the mood, so we can all believe, ‘Ah, it’s difficult even for him.’ But he acts so perfectly without NGs, it makes you think, ‘Wow, he really is Jang Jun-hyuk. What a tough guy.’”

Co-star Han Sang-jin points out a detail in the last episode of White Tower (SPOILERS for White Tower will be mentioned, just FYI), as pictured in the screenshot above.

In the scene, the ailing Dr. Jang reads a newspaper, but only holds onto it with one hand — the left hand misses grasping the page.

Han Sang-jin: “It’s because he’s lost sense of his body. Seeing him prepare such a small detail honestly made me think, ‘Can you believe this guy? How could he have thought of such a small detail to his acting?’”

A week before heading down to film My Love By My Side, Kim visits patients suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease in the hospital, and talks to them about their illness to see for himself the difficulties they face. He also pores through copious amounts of reading material, including a medical specialty book, the Textbook of Neurology.

With filming approaching, Kim worries that there’s something he hasn’t quite figured out yet. He explains that for every project he’s done, he suffers from a chronic ailment that kicks up from the stress. Sometimes it comes a little bit after filming, but for this movie, it’s begun early, even before filming has started.

For his last project, Beethoven Virus, it began about five episodes into filming. With White Tower, it was around Episode 2 or 3, and Immortal Lee Soon-shin — the drama that shot him to recognition — was when he first developed it.

“Beethoven Virus”

Kim spawned the “Kang-mae sensation” last year when he starred as the prickly conductor in MBC’s Beethoven Virus, and describes Kang as difficult and unrealistic: Who else would turn the line “You are a piece of s-h-i-t” [똥. 덩. 어. 리.] into a veritable catchphrase? (The bit of dialogue experienced something of its own sensation, as people delighted in the horrible-yet-entertaining way Kang-mae said the words with his particularly hard, staccato delivery.)

Beethoven Virus director Lee Jae-kyu explains with a laugh that even he couldn’t have imagined the way Kim would deliver that line. He hadn’t requested it of Kim:

Dir. Lee Jae-kyu: “The actor rehearsed that line dozens of times on his own, and figured out the way to best say it to fit the situation… His ability as an actor to leave Kim Myung-min behind and pour himself into a scene is truly amazing.”

Kim explains that when he’s not shooting, he goes through everything in his head, remembering the music, figuring out the tempo, rhythm:

Kim Myung-min: “At that moment, I think of myself as a conductor. As the conductor, I think, how ashamed would I feel if I fail in front of all these people? …

“If I don’t prepare enough, I have bad dreams, nightmares where I keep making NGs and everyone scolds me.”

Third week of filming: “My Love By My Side”

As Kim shops in the supermarket with his manager, he’s not recognized. He recalls an incident when someone came by to the shooting location and said she was here to see him because she was a fan, but didn’t recognize him even though he passed by several times in front of her. He doesn’t get recognized much because people expect someone like Kang-mae, and he figures this means he must look more like his new character now.

This film marks Kim’s first time actively trying to lose weight, which is a source of worry. Never having attempted it before, he isn’t sure if his goal is attainable, or how to go about getting there. But it’s all a part of his quest to create a reality for his character to live in: “This is a film about a patient dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease and the love that arises, but [if he doesn't manage his body] it can’t capture that essence.”

The documentary producer asks why he chose this role, and he muses that it’s probably because he wanted to test himself, to see if he could do it.

Kim Myung-min: “I think I’m always measuring myself. Could I go this far? How about this far?”

Meanwhile, while on the set, he keeps to himself, and doesn’t talk much. It’s explained that the crew plays upbeat music on the film set as one way of keeping Kim from falling too deeply into his character.

Kim Myung-min: “If I’m about to film a dark or depressing scene, a scene I have to really think about, I start to think about it two days before. It’s a very difficult and rather dumb style of acting. I have no time to laugh and chat, because I’m busy. I don’t show it, but there’s something moving around busily inside my head.”

Jang Geun-seok, Kim’s co-star from Beethoven Virus, explains:

“He doesn’t talk much when we’re on set to film, and always holds the script in his hand. He buries himself in the script. I didn’t know he would be so focused, to that extent. It was enough to give me chills down my spine.”

On set, Kim films a scene that looks painful — the character crashes to the ground because he’s not able to move the left side of his body. But in playback, Kim spots his left arm moving in the shot, so he redoes the scene.

In the second take, Kim lands hard on top of the water bucket, but this time he sees his left foot moving in the frame.

The narrator notes that the falling scene was not even part of the script originally — Kim suggested it to the director, explaining that it is a way of showing how much his disease has progressed.

The third time, Kim again takes a hard fall, but this time he’s pleased, because both paralyzed limbs have stayed unmoving in the shot.

The director, Park Jin-pyo, calls Kim “crazy” with his acting: “It’s not that he’s acting as that person, but that he really IS that person.”

Han Sang-jin recalls that it was this way with White Tower — Kim has always loved eating, but starting around the 14th or 15th episode, he had started eating less, because it wouldn’t be true to character if a dying patient had full cheeks.

Han Sang-jin: “When he’s filming Scene 17 of Episode 3, he’s not just shooting Scene 17 of Episode 3. He’s living the whole time, from the first scene in Episode 1 through the last scene in Episode 20, as Jang Jun-hyuk.”

Lee Seon-kyun: “If I can say anything with confidence, it’s that there’s no actor in this country who could act Jang Jun-hyuk better than Kim Myung-min. He’s truly the best.”

Jang Geun-seok recalls that throughout Beethoven Virus, Kim never asked for a break, even when they’d shot three days straight, and calls him an “iron man.”

Director Lee Jae-kyu: “Kang-mae became real. You could feel him, how much this Kang-mae character was… what do you call it… possessing his spirit? No, like he pulled his soul into him.”

Kim explains how famed conductor Karajan would finish a 70-minute performance and be exhausted from the exertion of throwing himself into his work. Kim aimed for a similar level of immersion in shooting the grand concert scene when the orchestra performs Beethoven’s Ninth. In the drama, following the concert, Kang-mae collapses into a chair — all the stress ebbing out of his body, leaving him weakened — and is taken to the hospital. In real life, Kim went home early after the shoot, unable to complete his schedule for the day. The exertion was so hard on his body that his legs shook, and he speculates this was probably the most difficult scene he’ll ever shoot.

The fan signing event earlier this year signaled how much he’d risen to superstardom, as the event far exceeded expectations when thousands showed up.

Arts critic Bae Kook-nam: “Kim Myung-min’s strength as an actor is that you don’t see the man Kim Myung-min, you only see his character.”

Kim Myung-min’s Early Career

Kim actually debuted 14 years ago, in a 1996 open casting that earned him the opportunity to be cast in bit parts over the following three to four years. He worked fairly steadily, but never got a break to move out of the background players.

Kim admits that it would be a lie to say he never felt discouraged, and whenever one of his colleagues got cast in a leading role, he’d feel disappointment at still being stuck as an extra.

In a particularly moving moment, present-day Kim interviews about an early experience when he’d got word that he’d landed his first non-background role. He’d gone to wardrobe, and the staff had been exceedingly nice in helping him pick out clothing, which he took with him to the set only to find out that he’d been un-cast.

Kim recalls, “If they had told me before…” There’s a long, uncomfortable pause and his eyes fill with tears involuntarily. He finishes, “But that was the first time I encountered that.”

Fellow actor Ryu Jin recalls that even the president of their agency at the time had said, “There’s this guy named Myung-min, and he acts even better than the actors out there now. But there’s a problem with ‘image casting.’”

Apparently, Kim was not deemed good-looking enough to be a leading actor, and when he was cast for his first significant role in 2001’s I Like It Hot, the writers opposed it, saying he was ugly. (He was fine for a “normal person,” but not for an actor.)

So then Kim switched to films, but met with bad luck there, too — several projects were cancelled mid-production, one after another. That shook his confidence: “I even thought, ‘I must not be meant to be an actor.’”

He was in a motorcycle stunt accident while filming, which required surgery in his leg and significant time to recover, after which he’d been forgotten. Kim decided to leave acting and Korea, although he never used the phrase “give up.” He would tell people, “I just think business might be better for me, I’m just leaving for a short while, if I don’t study now it might be too late…” But, he explains, “That was my pride,” because he didn’t want to say that he was giving up.

The Big Break: “Immortal Lee Soon-shin”

Just as he’d been ready to leave, he was cast for Immortal Lee Soon-shin, a long-running historical drama that centered around the famous Joseon-era admiral. Kim had thought he couldn’t turn down the role, but wasn’t convinced this would be the turning point — he thought to do this one project, and then leave.

Kim’s casting at the time did not meet with favorable response, as the production boasted larger stars and he was a mere rookie. But that wasn’t all bad — he explains that as a new actor, “I was at the very bottom, so there was nowhere to go but up. And there were no expectations, so it was comfortable.”

On the other hand, the one thing that sometimes pricked his temper was when some people would comment that he didn’t look like Lee Soon-shin, and he’d want to retort, “Have you seen Lee Soon-shin? He could have looked like me!”

The drama aired for a year and a half, and Kim was universally praised. He won a Daesang (Grand Prize) that year for the role… which was soon followed by a Daesang for White Tower, and then another Daesang for Beethoven Virus. (Btw, can you kinda understand now what the uproar was when he had to split his Daesang with Song Seung-heon? Even if you give Song his due props for East of Eden, he’s nowhere near the same acting class, and people saw it nothing short of an insult to share a Daesang for what seemed like disingenuous reasons. For what it’s worth, Song himself has seemed a bit embarrassed to have been awarded the co-Daesang.)

The Lee Soon-shin director recalls:

Dir. Lee Sung-joo: “He was always on set first. He was always prepared. He’s a person too and could have been as cold and hot and uncomfortable as anyone, or said, ‘There’s so much dialogue, please reduce it.’ But he never said a thing.”

Regarding his Lee Soon-shin Daesang:

Kim Myung-min: “It’s the project that brought me back to the starting point, that allowed me to make a new start. After briefly changing directions, it let me find my way again.”

Given how much Kim relishes getting into character, it seems understandable that he feels most ill at ease at awards ceremonies, when he’s there in the public eye but without a character to portray:

Kim Myung-min: “It’s so awkward, I don’t know how to wave my hand or manage my facial expression. Even now, I don’t know what to do. I think it’s remarkable that I’ve made it this far.”

As if there were any doubt, Kim doesn’t see himself as a star, nor does he want to:

Kim Myung-min: “Being a star, doesn’t it give you an uneasy feeling? A star always has to stay above, up high. It also feels lacking in reality. Actors should be called actors.”

A Month Into Filming: “My Love By My Side”

Now a month into filming, Kim has dropped a total of 10 kg. The first thing he does in the morning is weigh himself, and today he comes up 62 kg. His cheeks are considerably sunken and he is noticeably thinner, ill-looking.

My Love By My Side producer Oh Ga-won: “I makes you feel so bad to look at him, because he has lost so much weight that it’s really apparent. But he never makes those around him uncomfortable, no matter the situation. He has a sense of care in looking after those around him.”

His weight loss seems to be taking its toll, and his memory has dulled and slowed. But to Kim, it’s all part of the process of becoming this Lou Gehrig’s sufferer:

Kim Myung-min: “The words I hate hearing most are ‘That’s very Kim Myung-min-like.’ I don’t want to be an actor who is known for my own name, but for my characters. If you don’t know my character’s name and just say, ‘Oh, there’s Kim Myung-min,’ that’s not the actor I want to be.”

Source: The Korea Times 04-15-2009 18:19

Big Stars Appearing in Documentaries

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

MBC aired a biographic documentary on actor Kim Myung-min last Sunday.

Documentaries have been regarded as serious and educational, and only recently did viewers and producers alike appreciate the impact of these programs. Many have examined interesting topics ranging from dinosaurs to polar bears and noodles, and now cameras have turned toward local stars like Myung Se-bin, Kim Myung-min and soccer star Park Ji-sung.

Myung has been out of the spotlight since her marriage and divorce, but she reappeared as a gisaeng, or Korean female entertainer, with the documentary "Gisaengjeon'' last Sunday on SBS.

The actress was transformed into a beautiful gisaeng in the program, complete with the hanbok ― Korean traditional outfit ― exquisite hairstyles, accessories and make-up.

"They had to hide from the public, despite their rich history in art, tradition and culture. I wanted to bring back their story and re-evaluate them,'' the producer of the program, Jung Gu-il, said.

The documentary touched the graceful yet tragic lives of gisaeng, comparable with Japanese geisha. While geisha culture still exists in Japan, Korea has lost gisaeng culture, and so the program focused on the meaning of the culture and what could be done to bring it back. Myung successfully worked as the narrator and depicted the life of gisaeng from start to finish.

While SBS offered the tragic lives of gisaeng, MBC brought the touching story of actor Kim Myung-min with the documentary "Celebrity Biography- Kim Myung-min Was Not There.'' Kim is a top star now, appearing in popular dramas like "Beethoven Virus,'' which won him the top prize at the 2008 Korea Drama Festival, and movies "Open City'' (2007) and "Return'' (2007). But through the program, viewers were able to realize that he did not taste success immediately.

The documentary helped show Kim in a more friendly light, as he's portrayed rather harsh characters, including a coldhearted doctor, a mean yet emotional conductor and a police officer.

"The objective was to present the journey of Kim as an actor: his passion, his failures and finally his success and hope,'' one of the staff members of the program said through a statement.

Indeed, the documentary touched viewers, especially when Kim starting crying when reminiscing about his difficult times as an aspiring actor.

"I was never lazy, not one second. I prefer the word actor over star,'' Kim said during the program.

It seemed viewers appreciated the program as well, as viewer ratings hit 10 percent, a high number considering the time slot, and demanded reruns on MBC's Web site.

Riding on the popularity of Kim's documentary, MBC now offers the life of Park Ji-sung of Manchester United through its documentary "Do You Know Park Ji-sung?'' The winger has never opened up to the press regarding his life and training in England, and so the documentary will offer fans exclusive footage of the 29-year-old player.

"I want to play soccer, but I don't want to become famous. I just want to be normal,'' Park says during the program.

The camera follows Park everywhere, from training, English language instruction, personal training and even to a birthday party his close friends Patrice Evra and Carlos Tevez throw him.

Along with interviews and footage of the soccer star, MBC also managed to carry out an interview with Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United. Ferguson speaks about Park and his strategies in his first interview with the Korean press.

This documentary will help soccer and Park's fans learn more about him, from his personal thoughts and hobbies to his childhood, while other viewers will have the chance to look into the popular yet lonely life he goes through every day just to fulfill his dreams as a soccer player.

MBC's "Do You Know Park Ji-sung?'' will air April 19 at 10:35 p.m.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

April 24, 2009

Immortal Yi Soon-Shin Episodes 1-33 Box Set will be re-released on April 9, 2009 (12disc set)! YAY~
Looks like this edition doesn't include the OST....

http://www.madmad.co.kr/dvd/detail.html?dvd_id=53749

As expected, this release isn't as nice as the 1st edition.

Available at K2DVD: http://www.k2dvd.com/shop/p_detail.asp?idx...arch&genre=

^ Regular release with 12 Discs in 6 keep-cases (2 Discs per keep-case).

May 31, 2009

im still not finished watching this drama waahhh thanks Piano_lady for posting the links

May 31, 2009

If it wasnt for him.. Korea would be extinguished and the continent of Korea would be part of Japan. To learn more about him, I suggest to read a book about him or watch the TV show..

What a ridiculous hyperbole. Without the Ming intervention, there is no Joseon.

Admiral Yi's exploits were important, but the land battles had to be won to stymie and ultimately evict the Japanese.

In 1592-1598 Japanese attacked Korea where Japanese got to the capital of Korea in 4 days and the king fled, making korea in ruins. He knew that fighting on the soil = no chance of survival because of the weapon difference (Japanese were well equipped with muskets and 2 katanas + armors while the korean army were equipped without armor and had bows or a spear.. the usual soldier for the two armies)

Also, the Japanese land forces were better not because they were better-armed as much as they were better-trained, better-organized, and better-led.

Imjin Waeran-era muskets were notoriously unreliable, had a long re-load time, and lacked accuracy. Their role is spectacularly over-rated, and well-trained bowmen were far more effective than musketeers.

To be honest, if equipment did make a major difference during Imjin Waeran, it was in the sea battles, where most Japanese ships even lacked cannons and sought to win by board & melee tactic.

July 22, 2009

Anyone care for some IYSS money?

credits to MinGal DCinside

~~~~~~~~

Thanks for the info on the boxset, KD!

Just wondering though...is it the full version??

Checked the site but it's out of stock for now..

July 27, 2009

Totally loving IYSS!

credits to MinGall

July 28, 2009

Something interesting...

Hunt for the lost ships of Chilcheon A salvage team has just weeks left to find wrecked turtle ships deep in the mud

June 04, 2009

Turtle shipsIt was probably Korea’s greatest ever naval disaster.

Ten thousand Korean sailors were killed on July 16, 1597 in the seas around Chilcheon Island off the coast of South Gyeongsang when 500 Japanese warships launched a surprise attack.

Korea also lost five to seven geobukseon, or turtle ships, ironclad vessels shaped like a turtle, and 160 panokseon, another type of battleship.

It was Korea’s only recorded naval defeat during its seven-year-long war with the Japanese between 1592 and 1598.

No authentic examples of geobukseon or panokseon exist today on land. Examples in museums are all replicas. But wrecks exist underwater and explorers have undertaken expeditions to locate sunken boats from this period of history.

One such project is being organized by the Korea Under Water Development Co, but their efforts reveal just how hard it is to find sunken wrecks.

Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598) pioneered the use of turtle ships in warfare at sea. [JoongAng Ilbo]A crew of eight, including a captain, divers and researchers have been trying to excavate a geobukseon since last June. The company was invited by the South Gyeongsang provincial government to search the waters off the southern coastline of the Korean Peninsula using a 21-ton exploration ship, but by the end of their 12-month assignment, they had dredged up nothing but sludge.

“Visibility is poor because of the mud,” said one of the company’s divers, Park Dong-choon, a 19-year veteran of the seas.

The provincial government has given the company a further two months’ worth of funding to find what they’re looking for - 16th century-era boats. After that, the divers who scour the ocean floor will have to seek funds from private sponsors if they are to continue their hunt.

What’s surprising, though, is that the 400-year-old ships resting on the seabed have not rotten away.

But, as underwater artifacts specialist Park Sang-un explains, wood does not rot easily under the mud.

“The oxygen is blocked within the mud, isolating microorganisms and shellfish that eat away the wood,” he said.

Lee Jong-won, the president of Busan Diving Center who in 2006 first suggested a project to unearth geobukseon, said mud works as a refrigerator. “There have been many accounts in and outside the country of salvaging sunken wooden ships in good condition from hundreds of years ago,” Lee said.

One example is the recovery of the Swedish warship Vasa in 1961. It sank 30 meters (98.4 feet) to the bottom of the sea outside Stockholm in 1628, and was pulled out 333 years later virtually rot-free.

Another example is the wooden boat and its artifacts made hundreds of years ago hauled out of the waters off Sinan County, South Jeolla in the west sea.

The common distinction between these finds is that the sea level is low and the boats are buried in mud with low levels of salinity.

The explorers can work out how much mud covers possible wrecks by calculations based on tidal fluctuations around Chilcheon Island where the navel battle took place 400 years ago. But the problem is knowing where to start digging.

First, the team uses a “multibeam” to investigate the land and its features. The sound waves from the multibeam reflect off the seabed to create a graphic image. Then they use a side-scan sonar to develop 3D images. The sonar is attached to a nine-ton minisub that scans the seabed. The problem here is that it can’t locate anything under the mud, only objects lying on the sea floor.

Another tool in the divers’ arsenal is a special piece of equipment that shoots out high-frequency waves to see if there is something underneath the mud. It is impossible to see what exactly is there, so a magnetometer is used to see if metal is present. The geobukseon were covered in metal.

Unidentified objects have been located in around 767 locations around Chilcheon Island. The team has narrowed down the possible sites to 57 spots.

Until the end of last year, the divers were removing mud at 25 locations where the layers were less than one meter deep. They have found 41 pieces of china from the 18th to 19th centuries and three from the 16 century.

The other 32 locations are covered in over two meters of mud, making excavation very difficult.

“We used to use something called an ‘airlift’ which would suck up the mud like a vacuum cleaner,” said Choi Byung-yong, the director of diving operations with the compand. “But we use only shovels and hoes now, which is slower but causes less damage to the surrounding area.”

There are currently nine sites left to explore in the two months. After that, private groups will have to pick up the tab if the project is to continue.

“We’re not sure if we can find a geobukseon vessel,” says Kim Jong-im, the director of the geobukseon excavation project for the South Gyeongsang provincial government. “But geobukseon and panokseon certainly lay deep within the Chilcheon waters. To continue, we need time and money because the area is so big.”

Geobukseon Excavation divisional commander Yoo Myeong-kyu said some people think we are wasting our time, but even if we only have a 1 percent chance of finding a geobukseon, it will be worth it.”

By Ko Seong-pyo [estyle@joongang.co.kr]

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2905658

Sign In

[drama 2004/5] The Immortal Lee Soon Shin 불멸의 이순신

Recommended Posts

Guest angelsfaith

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Guest theflamealchemist

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest angelsfaith

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest angelsfaith

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest piano_lady

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest hummer75

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest anachronista

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest turnthedice

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest angelsfaith

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest Yang-Um

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest kdramafanusa

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest piano_lady

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest chubbygirl1

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest kdramafanusa

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest kdramafanusa

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest angelsfaith

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest MisterBarca

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest piano_lady

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest piano_lady

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Guest piano_lady

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Archived

Hot Topics

Browse

Activity

Important Information