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January 18, 2009
Free Seollal Activities
Expect various offerings of traditional activities and even movie showings during the lunar New Year.
The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea is planning diverse events during the Jan. 25-27 break. At Changgyeong Palace in Seoul, traditional games of arrow throwing, yut, top spinning and shuttlecock kicking will be offered for three days. See cgg.cha.go.kr. Deoksu Palace will be host to performances of Namsadang (traveling male entertainers) and farmer's music of Pyeongtaek Jan. 26. Visit www.deoksugung.go.kr for more information.
The National Museum of Korea in Yonsan, Seoul has also planned series of Seollal (New Year's) events. On Jan. 24, the museum will host kite-flying for both Korean and foreign museum visitors. From Jan. 25 to Jan. 26, the museum invites visitors to take part in traditional jumping on seesaws, arrow-throwing and others.
The museum will also screen five movies including the Korean movies "Le Grand Chef" and "Herb," and give free admission to the special exhibition "Echoes of Life", The Enduring Tradition of Unified Silla Sculpture during the lunar New Year's holidays. For more information, visit www. useum.go.kr
Source: koreatimes.co.kr |
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January 18, 2009
IPTV poised to transform TV entertainment
Internet protocol television or IPTV has long been touted as the future of television entertainment and a new growth engine of the industry.
The three firms licensed to provide IPTV services -- KT Corp., LG Dacom Corp. and SK Broadband -- are making extensive investments in the new business.
KT, the country's largest fixed line operator, plans to invest 1.2 trillion won ($892 billion) by 2010, while LG Dacom Corp. and SK Broadband plan on injecting 916.9 billion won and 1.6 trillion won, respectively, into the IPTV business over the next five years.
After a few false starts due to IPTV service providers failing to agree with KBS, MBC and SBS over the right to retransmit their programs, KT began providing programs from all three stations on its IPTV service Mega TV on Nov. 17.
LG Dacom's myLGtv and SK Broadband's Broad & TV soon followed, securing national retransmission rights to KBS and MBC programs and for SBS programs in Seoul and the surrounding regions.
A family watches television on KT`s IPTV service Mega TV. [KT Corp.]
However, as the two companies have not yet secured retransmission rights to programs produced by private provincial stations, SBS programs are not yet available for Broad & TV and myLGtv subscribers outside of Seoul and surrounding regions.
With all three IPTV service providers gaining at least partial access to terrestrial broadcasters' programs, commercial services with real-time broadcasts began on Jan. 1.
In addition to providing on-demand programming, IPTV has the potential to overhaul the country's advertising market.
Unlike conventional television, IPTV is capable of conveying information both to and from the viewer, allowing service providers to accurately monitor each viewer's preferences. This ability enables targeted advertising by airing adverts for products that share a common theme with the program being watched.
In addition, IPTV has the potential to give viewers access to internet banking and other services that are currently unavailable through conventional television.
However, some people are concerned that the Korean market will be difficult for IPTV to penetrate. Skeptics say that markets with wide high-speed internet distribution and high pay-television subscription rates are the most difficult for IPTV to penetrate. Korea has both these things. High-speed internet access is widely available across the country and the subscription rate of cable and other pay television services is around 80 percent.
Although IPTV's popularity is yet to be tested and the Korean business environment is potentially hostile, IPTV companies estimate that Korea will have between 5 million to 7 million IPTV subscribers by 2012. Local analysts say that target is realistic.
Hyundai Securities Co.'s telecommunications senior analyst Lee Shi-hoon says that, depending on the content and provider, a firm would need about 2 million subscribers for IPTV to become profitable. He said that 50 percent penetration rate by 2012 was possible.
With Korean IPTV service providers' target of an equal share of the 5 million to 7 million projected subscribers, breaking even may be easier for IPTV providers in Korea than it has been for firms operating abroad.
In Hong Kong, the region with the world's highest IPTV penetration, the largest provider is PCCW. According to a report published by U.S.-based consulting firm Frost and Sullivan PCCW is unlikely to see a return on its Hong Kong investment for another three to four years, more than seven years since it began related services in 2003.
By Choi He-suk ([email protected])
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEW ... 19/200901190026.asp |
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January 16, 2009
Asian Cinders are tough and not very charming
The laws that popular Cinderella stories, particularly those in Korea, Japan and China, cannot be disputed.
For starters, the Prince Charming character has to have the wealth, blue-blood background, stellar looks and other superstar qualities. When they appear, the wow factor has to shoot off the dial.
Another characteristic of the male characters in modern-day Cinderella tales is that they are rude, selfish, and chauvinistic and couldn抰 care less what others say.
The female characters in these hot-selling Cinderella stories in Asia tend to be tough girls, not particular attractive and perhaps clumsy and a little dull. But they boast other qualities: delightful, compassionate, optimistic, honest and diligent.
Case in point: Candy from 揅andy Candy. |
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January 19, 2009
Park Jin-young Speaks At Global Music Trade Fair
Park Jin-young
Singer and producer Park Jin-young, 37, was a keynote speaker at MIDEM, the world's largest music industry trade fair.
JYP Entertainment said on Sunday, "Along with Google's vice-president David Eun, MySpace's vice-president Amit Kapur, and Nokia's executive vice-president Tero Ojanpera, Park attended MIDEM抯 official conference, Midem Net, held in Cannes, France, and gave a keynote speech on Saturday."
After speaking on nurturing entertainment stars and his ambitions for the U.S. and European markets, Park met press from around 20 countries, including the U.K. and Germany.
Credits: [email protected]
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 1/200901190004.html |
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NEWS INDEX page 82
January 14, 2009: Korea's major TV stations
Jan 15: 揌wang Jin-I |
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January 15, 2009
揌wang Jin-I |
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January 16, 2009
Im Chang-jung to Return to Singing
Actor Im Chang-jung is poised to come out of retirement, after having retired from singing back in 2003. His agent said in a phone interview that Im is currently working on a new album and plans to return to the music scene in March at the earliest. According to Im抯 representative, the talented singer/actor is mulling over how many songs to put in his eleventh album.
Ever since Im did a featuring for a new musician in 2007, he has realized how much he missed music and has been seriously thinking about taking up singing again. He reportedly was concerned about how he抣l be received after making a comeback from retirement. However, he decided to resume his singing career after his fans encouraged him to follow his dream.
Im debuted in 1995 with the song titled 揂lready to Me |
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January 19, 2009
(Yonhap Feature)
S. Korean TV viewers immersed in 'temptation' of distorted reality
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- A woman from a poor family is forced to marry a man who rapes her. The man, who turns out to be a billionaire, and his family treat her like a maid. After all the unimaginable cruelties, her husband has an affair with her best friend, forces her to have an abortion, and dumps her, literally, into the icy cold sea.
The plot is already outrageously quixotic, but the real story of this controversial TV drama, "Temptation of the Wife," begins when the woman gets a facelift, learns to tango, somehow completely alters her introspective personality and seduces her husband to get revenge.
Certainly, few people would say this inordinate drama deserves an award. But still, almost six out of every 10 housewives in South Korea watch it every weekday. "It is human nature to be drawn to rambunctious and somewhat perverted portrayals of life," television critic Chung Duk-hyun said. "This desire becomes stronger during depressing times. People either want something really happy and optimistic or something really dark and gloomy."
"The formula of provocative dramas is simple: They make people hate the bad and sympathize with the good. The intensity of the emotions invoked makes people forget their daily troubles, at least for a while."
Housewife Ham Jong-hee, a devoted viewer of "Temptation of the Wife" and two other TV series criticized for their lack of reality, said she can't understand what the fuss is about. "Since when did fictional TV series promise reality? Television has been and always will be a form of entertainment," the 53-year-old woman said. "If I enjoy it, that's it. No more disputes necessary."
TV dramas have been the main source of household entertainment in South Korea since the 1950s, when black-and-white television came out for the first time. Because it was mainly stay-at-home moms who watched television for lengthy hours, themes were limited: conflicts with the in-laws, husbands' affairs, money problems and other family matters.
Quality was never an issue until the 1990s, when drama makers realized that these series made excellent exports and can make money overseas. Targeting younger viewers, they began to search for lighter and trendier subjects. Scriptwriters and producers made some enduring masterpieces over the years. For instance, "Winter Sonata" and "Daejanggeum" sold to the tune of billions of dollars throughout Asia.
But overseas demand began to dwindle, and drama makers went back to domestic viewers. The descending economic recession was also forcing them to cut production costs by casting less popular stars and compromising on locations and script quality.
"Producers of unrealistic dramas cannot justify themselves just because people continue to watch their shows," said culture critic Kim Heon-sik. "They mock reality and the ethical codes that have been the forte of Korean dramas for a long time. It is their own future they're ruining."
Taking popular U.S. TV series "Desperate Housewives" as an example, Kim emphasized the importance of "plausibility" in the plots. "Even the most lecherous stories can be credible if they have understandable plots," he said. "American dramas also trivialize adultery, virginity and sexual addictions," but the characters and events do not pop out of nowhere, as in Korean dramas, Kim said. "It becomes a problem when drama makers begin to ignore this issue and force people into accepting absurd plots with sensuous scenes and provocative subjects."
Recent dramas with viewer ratings of over 20 percent -- considered the yardstick in measuring popularity -- have several similarities. Shows such as "Temptation of the Wife (SBS)," "The First Wives Club (SBS)" and "You're My Destiny (KBS)," feature fatal disease, adultery, domestic violence, and the stark contrast of good and evil.
The problem is that all these subjects are thrown together without connecting the dots, critics say.
The dramas of Kim Soo-hyun, one of the top scriptwriters in South Korea, are relatively well-received both by the public and critics, despite the fact that she, too, frequently bases her stories on subjects like divorce, out-of-wedlock births and adultery. Her power is in the density and solidity of her plots, experts say. "Dramas are stories that are seen by many more people and are much closer to their everyday lives compared to movies," media critic Kang Myung-suk said. "This is why they must not go overboard and stay within the tolerable boundaries of reality."
But whether based on lifestyles glamorous or mundane, dramas have become downright quixotic, experts say, and although the formula may have worked for many years, people are ultimately bound to realize these stories are nothing more than lurid fantasies.
"In real life, there isn't a clear division between the good and bad, and not so many bad things happen to one person. Good drama makers know this and will not bet their works on the capricious taste of the viewers," Kang said.
Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews, image from empas.com |
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January 19, 2009
Not too old for fashion
One word that would surely prompt cringes among women of all ages in Korea is probably "ajumma."
The word, which usually refers to middle-aged married women with children, can insinuate she is boorish, countrified and rash, perhaps due to concentrating all her time on raising her kids and keeping the house, instead of taking care of herself.
But as the female working population grows, and women's educational backgrounds improve, more women in their 40s and 50s are refusing to be called ajummas. They are instead creating their own fashion trends and in turn, fast becoming a new target market for fashion brands working to fight off the economic slump.
As Korea, by nature, likes to brand any phenomenon, these women are called "RUBYs." RUBY is an acronym, standing for "refreshed, uncommon, beautiful and young."
RUBYs have a certain level of economic strength. They are not afraid to spend a few bucks on clothes, accessories and skin care, and have strong individual preferences.
The most signature depiction of RUBY was Jang Mi-hee in last year's hit television drama series "Mom Has Grown Horns" on KBS. In the series, Jang, in her svelte figure, played a spoiled but incredibly fashionable mom, and her outfits and accessories drew immense interest and popularity among mid-aged female viewers.
A display of Cheil`s 'LEBEIGE' accessories Cheil Industries/A display
of Cheil's 'LEBEIGE' clothes Cheil Industries/An image cut of LG Fashion's
'BLUMARINE' LG Fashion Corp.
"When you look closely at the purchasing trends of Korea's women, they move based on their mental age, rather than their actual age," said Kim Young-soon, a managing director of LG Fashion Corp. The company has been on the vanguard of the senior fashionistas with its "BLUMARINE" line imported from Italy since 2007.
It thereby helps to think of a lower age group when designing a brand for a target age bracket, according to company officials.
While in such countries as Italy and Europe where stylish apparel has been available for middle aged women for some time, Korea's market is just starting to boom, the officials said. This is because the so-called baby boomers of the late 1950s and 1960s with relatively good education compared to their parents have now grown to become the senior consumer group.
Meeting with this latest trend, Korea's leading fashion businesses are churning out new brands. This year, Cheil Industries has decided to give up on its ambitious youth-orientated brand of last year "conflictedtendency," and instead launched a new brand "LEBEIGE" for the chic middle-aged women.
"As the overall economy appears bogged down, we have decided to make a selected and concentrated approach and agreed that the so-called RUBYs are a great blue ocean," said Cheil Industries' Yang Hee-joon. Cheil Industries, an affiliate of the Samsung Group whose flagship fashion brand is "Bean Pole," operates 13 different lines.
Stylists and fashion experts suggest that those who wish to make a fashion statement on the cheap should focus on adding a unique feature to an outfit, rather than wearing head-to-toe luxury brands.
One of the most popular items is a fur gilet -- whether fake or genuine -- which adds an edge to the outfit as an alternative to an outlandish fur coat. Cropped pants or pleated or flare skirts are also good choices to hide what needs to be hidden and create slimmer silhouette. Brightly colored scarves or patterned mufflers, finished off with chic big bags, can also effectively add a stylish touch.
Other brands targeting middle-aged or senior women include Hyungji Apparel's RAGELLO and Basic House's "Diace."
As was chosen as one of the most promising business fields by LG Economic Research Institute for year 2010, the so-called anti-aging phenomenon is expected to grow beyond apparels and into other industries including skincare, electronic items and even matchmaking businesses.
Skincare and plastic surgery are also enjoying increasing popularity among older women seeking to get rid of fine wrinkles or spots or receive botox.
With an increasing number of divorces and remarriages, the matchmaking industry is also enjoying a heyday. According to the National Statistical Office, the number of divorces among those over 55 years old is on the increase. There are nearly four times as many remarriages among seniors than there were 10 years ago.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs predicted that the overall senior industry will grow from about 25 trillion won in 2005 to 37 trillion next year. About 14 percent of the population of Korea is expected to be 65 years old or older by 2010.
By Lee Joo-hee ([email protected])
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEW ... 20/200901200018.asp |
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 Weekly Box Office 2009.01.16 ~ 2009.01.18 3-day Gross/Total Gross (won)
Overspeed Scandal/empas.com
1. Overspeed Scandal / Scandle Makers (South Korea) 1,949,893,000 / 41,085,332,500
2. A Frozen Flower (South Korea) 2,004,936,000 / 19,974,712,000
3. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (U.S.) 1,315,499,000 / 4,660,864,500
4. Transporter 3 (France) 1,182,593,500 / 4,651,519,000
5. Yes Man (U.S.) 491,262,500 / 8,865,404,000
6. Bolt (U.S.) 351,215,500 / 4,689,470,000
7. Defiance (U.S.) 376,998,500 / 1,200,429,500
8. Ponyo On The Cliff (Japan) 187,951,500 / 9,374,561,000
9. Journey To The Center Of The Earth (U.S.) 123,010,500 / 9,089,453,000
10. Top Blade the Movie (Japan) 75,200,500 / 89,181,500
Source: KOFIC |
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January 20, 2009
Movie Review
Delicious meals spawn unexpected romance in 'The Naked Kitchen'
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Yonhap) -- The first thing you'll want to do after watching this sugary romantic film is have a delicious homemade dinner. Then, you may trot out to explore the hidden streets of Seoul with hopes of falling in love with the first person you bump into.
Love can turn any ordinary dish into the most exotic cuisine you have ever tasted, and make Seoul seem as exciting as Paris or New York -- but can you really handle it, the South Korean movie "The Naked Kitchen" asks.
The movie, the first feature-length film by emerging director Hong Ji-young, examines a question that everyone has asked at least once: Is love a moment of irresistible passion, or is it a tranquil part of everyday life? While touching on the meaning of love and the sensitive subject of infidelity, director Hong immerses the movie in scrumptious meals, summer sunshine and charming props that seem uniquely Korean, proving Korean chick flicks have a chance at becoming their very own genre.
Mo-rae (Synn Min-a) is a twenty-something parasol designer who seems to be everything a man could dream of in a wife. Mild-tempered and sweet, Mo-rae married the first -- and only -- man she has ever loved. In fact, they were playmates as toddlers. The husband, Sang-in (Kim Tae-woo), is a hotshot fund manager who dreams of becoming a chef. Encouraged by his loving wife's full support, Sang-in quits his job and prepares to open a fusion Korean restaurant.
Everything seems to go well for the happily married couple until another man, Du-re (Ju Ji-hun), enters their lives. As their rhyming names indicate, Mo-rae and Du-re are drawn to each other from the moment they accidentally bump into each other.
Reflecting her perhaps childish, but honest personality, Mo-rae confesses her onetime, but passionate, affair to her husband who says, "Let's not reopen the wound, and forget this ever happened." The wound barely has time to heal, however, as Du-re turns out to be a talented cook who flies to Seoul from Paris to give a piece of culinary advice to Sang-in, his longtime friend.
The plot of the movie is quite simple. Rather than unfolding through incidents or heated moments of confrontation, the movie quietly portrays how the three characters handle their feelings of love, passion and jealousy in their everyday lives. The strength of this movie is not in the plot or depth of the story, but in the way the director lays out each scene to assemble one big picture: that of home-cooked meals, cozy homes, blue skies and families and friends.
Instead of verbalizing his jealousy and anxiety after discovering the affair between his wife and friend, Sang-in eats a hamburger at a baseball game. For a chef noted for creating an "unchanging and seemingly everlasting taste," eating fast food shows how deeply hurt and devastated he is.
Director Hong, considered one of the most talented young female filmmakers in Korea, has already shown her ability to slowly absorb the audience rather than force them into her story with her short movies "Rosa Story" and "Herstory." Both movies were well received by critics at the Cologne International Women's Film Festival and the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival in 1999 and 1995, respectively, "I made the movie thinking romance might be the last dream and hope for all adults," the 38-year-old director told the audience at the movie's preview.
Ironically, it took barely two months to complete the movie, whose message seems to be "slow and steady cooking makes the best meals." "The Naked Kitchen" will hit screens nationwide on Feb. 5.
Credits: [email protected]
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/ ... 0119008500315F.HTML
[ Last edited by katt at 20-1-2009 10:16 PM ] |
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January 19, 2009
Park JY Introduces Korean Music System at Cannes
Singer and producer Park Jin-young (37) has delivered a keynote speech at the Music International Trade Fair, MIDEM, a gathering of music industry businesspeople.
He was among the speakers including the likes of Google vice president, MySpace chief vice president and Nokia's executive director at Midem Net, the official conference of Midem held on a particular topic. The Midem fair opened in Cannes, France Sunday and will continue through Wednesday.
Midem Net, the tenth this year, was first established for talks on the future course of the music industry in the digital era.
Speaking on Saturday, Park was introduced as the founder of JYP Entertainment and the producer and creater of Korea's world renowned pop stars/groups including Rain and Wonder Girls.
JYP Entertainment says Park spoke before some 800 music officials from around the globe about his expertise on creating and globalizing pop stars and his future plans to advance to the US and Europe. He stirred high interest and received a number of questions after the speech.
He also held interviews with worldwide media outlets from France, the UK, US, Germany, China, Japan, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands.
After the speech, Park said that interest in the Korean music management system--in regards to the global music industry and international entertainment companies--was astounding, and that he was honored to introduce JYP's star management system on behalf of the Asian entertainment business.
Source: KBS Global |
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January 20, 2009
Martial Arts Director Jeong Du-hong
Jeong Du-hong is in high demand both for TV dramas and the silver screen. He is indispensable to action filmmaking. He directs the most touted Korean films. Jeong is the number one martial arts director in the country.
Fiery passion and innocence
Jeong is undisputedly the country抯 top martial arts director and the best stunt performer as well. Stories about him are countless. Just to hear about him from other film directors who worked with him will take up half a day. The list of dramas and movies he has worked on would make a thick book. He has always been strong headed, over the top and ready to make the next big scuffle. But any producer who has worked with him once wants to keep him around. Why? Because whatever the film director wants, Jeong can make happen with any means possible. There were more times that the director tried to talk him out of a daring action scene rather than Jeong turning down a director抯 call. Jeong抯 eyes are extremely intense when he is dead focused on the film set during acting or coaching the cast. But anyone who has seen his smile may also be puzzled. To quote director Kim Seong-su, Jeong is a "country lad" with a big, warm heart.
From taekwon boy to director
Born in 1967 in Imcheon, Buyeo County, South Chungcheong province, up until entering high school, Jeong was in fact a particularly quiet boy. He was small in physique, not into any sports and shy in front of girls. But the opening of a taekwondo (Korean martial art) gym in town changed all that. He once saw a children抯 taekwondo competition on TV and thought it was awesome. He was mesmerized by the sport and hit the gym in rain or snow and practiced ceaselessly. He was the kind of person who endeavored to the end on any passion. He couldn抰 afford the training fee, but the center's head teacher took note of his hard work and talent and taught him for free. Thus, taekwondo became his destiny.
After graduating from high school, Jeong entered a physical training college in Incheon as a special talent student. He spent most of his college years touring the world as a member of a school squad introducing taekwondo and Korean culture overseas. He served as a martial arts instructor while serving in the military, and briefly as a security guard of a lawmaker after completing his Army duty. Then a senior colleague offered him a film stunt gig. But his rosy dream of the entertainment world was crushed in reality. Stunt actors were not highly regarded some 20 years ago. He failed to notch a role even for a direct-to-video film. His highly trained muscles were only good for carrying the stunt team抯 luggage and heavy equipment. Distraught, he called it quits and focused more on physical training.
This is when he began to visit Boramae Park to work out. The park remains one of his cherished spots to this day. Every day, he transferred buses to go to the park from Gurodong, where he lived. In a nearby "hapkido (self defense art)" gym, he would practice fighting skills from 11 pm until the next morning. After three such months, he was ready for a proxy stunt role in the famous Korean gang series "The General抯 Son" directed by Im Kwon-taek. His hard training shined in the movie and the staff was deeply impressed. Even so, Jeong believes stunt actors have yet to be properly appreciated. This is why he opened the Seoul Action School at the Boramae Park gymnasium in 1998.
[img]http://image.cine21.com/resize/cine21/person/2008/0820/P0000007_peo66701[W636-].jpg[/img]
Photo credits: CINE21
Cradle of hope, Seoul Action School
Jeong抯 life story would not be complete without mentioning the Seoul Action School, in which he invested his life and is currently the center of Korean action cinema. The school has now expanded and moved to Paju, Gyeonggi province, but his ambition and love for the school is the same as when he first opened it. At times he is burdened by the responsibility. These days he is also attentive to safety concerns which resulted from a painful memory in 2002. One of his trainees fell sick and went to the hospital, and was diagnosed with malnourishment. When other students missed classes, Jeong found out they didn抰 have enough money for transport fare. He thereafter worked hard to improve the poor conditions and working environment but it was still a shock to him. He no longer performs stunts on set, but it抯 more nerve-racking for him to watch his students go at it. So he thoroughly checks every detail during rehearsal.
Always up for new challenge
Jeong always embraced new challenges one after another, such as incorporating a Korean-style wire action scene or a completely new action move. He works brutally hard not to maintain his top position but to challenge himself and advance his skills. Korean action films may soon catch up to Hollywood motion pictures as long as his passion for action-packed Korean cinema continues.
Source: KBS Global |
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January 20, 2009
SS501 Upbeat about Dual Hit
The five member male idol group SS501 has scored successes in both music and drama.
The title song of the group's mini album released by only three of the members--Heo Young-seang, Kim Hyeong-jun, Kim Gyu-jong--and entitled "U R Man" has ranked as the top "Mutizen Song" in a SBS TV music program, while ranking number one for two weeks on the cable Mnet channel program "M! Countdown."
Member Kim Hyeon-jung, who is currently not a member of the band due to his acting career, is also climbing in popularity as the sensational hit KBS 2TV drama "Boys over Flower" has topped 20% in viewer ratings.
SS501 is particulary happy about the music-drama synergy effect. The group appeared as themselves singing U R Man in a dance club scene in the drama's 4th episode. A featured song in the drama they sang is also soaring in portal rankings (2nd on Cyworld Music and 3rd on Mnet.com).
Kim Hyeong-jun says the three members were worried going alone without the other two (Park Jeong-min currently appears in the musical "Grease" ) but that he's pleased with the rave response. He also noted that the trio is the first "unit group" to top the rankings in a Korean TV music program.
Kim Hyeon-jung said that he's sparing time to watch the drama. He said the character "Jihu" is similar to Hyeon-jung's real personality so that he is very proud of his performance.
SS501, in its current three-member format, will release a new album next month including new songs and remixes of songs from the mini album.
Source: KBS Global |
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January 20, 2009
New Family Dramas to Warm Up Fans
The cast of the drama "The Way Home" greet reporters at the press conference.
The drama is expected to relate with the viewers with its down-to-earth plots and
relations among family members. / Courtesy of KBS
While other networks are busy with dramas about young trendy teen stars and affairs between spouses and celebrities, KBS is beckoning fans with warm and comical stories of families.
Dramas "The Way Home" and "Gyeongsook, Gyeongsook's Father"' are both about families, and are anticipated to be a breath of fresh air among the other trendy and provocative plots and characters. "The Way Home" asks a simple question. After spending a hectic day in the competitive world, to where would you finally want to head?
The drama's answer is home, and so it depicts the simple yet heartwarming story of a three-generation family. "I tried to make dramas that would make our children proud in the past, but with this drama, I tried to make it fit for our parents. It will be more about the people who live their life to the fullest, from their work to emotional breakdowns, instead of dramatic plots like revenge," Mun Bo-hyun, the producer, said at a recent press conference for the drama.
Starring veteran actors like Park Geun-hyung, Ban Hyo-jung, Jang Yong and Yun Yeo-jung, the drama will explore the lives of the grown-up children who each have their own problems to solve, and the way they cope with their aging parents.
Choi Min-hwan, a member of the pop group FT Island, is set to greet fans as an actor, while Japanese model-turned-actor Otani Ryohei will also be coupled with Korean actor Park Hae-won, being the first Korean and Japanese couple to appear in a local drama.
"The Way Home" airs Monday through Friday at 8:25 on KBS1.
Meanwhile, the four-episode drama "Gyeongsook, Gyeongsook's Father" will take viewers back to the 1950s, during the devastating times of war and its aftermath.
Gyeong-sook, played by the young actress Shim Eun-gyeong who appeared in a cell phone commercial with pop singer Seo Tai-ji, hates her father, played by veteran actor Jung Bo-suk. A "janggu" (Korean drum) player, he mingles with ladies and spends his time drinking instead of taking care of his mother, wife and two young daughters. When the war finally breaks out, the ruthless father runs away, leaving his young daughter to look after the rest of the family.
Despite the devastating situation, the drama sticks to humor, as difficult times can be endured with love, wit and composure. The short clip of the drama was indeed more comical than heartbreaking, possessing hints of the movie "Welcome to Dongmakgol."
"This work was originally a play. The story of the father and daughter relationship was what made it popular, and I also enjoyed the storyline where the family never loses hope and tries to think positive despite the devastating times," producer Hong Seok-gu said.
He added that one of the objectives was to show the viewers how poor people survived the war. "The father character is not the typical, paternal and scary image, but someone who actually seeks his own world, which in this case is his longing to learn more about music as a janggu player," Hong said.
After leaving his family, the father returns after realizing his position, only to find that his family has already moved on without him. "The story is about a family, but overall, the idea is to remind viewers with admiration of life. It's interesting how the drama fits right into current society. We are living in difficult times, but if you think about it, we have been through much more, and we survived," he said.
"Gyeongsook, Gyeongsook's Father" will start airing tonight at 10 p.m. on KBS2.
By Han Sang-hee, Staff Reporter ([email protected]) via The Korea Times |
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January 20, 2009
Top Cineastes to Grace Art Film Fest
Director Jeon Kye-soo
That special time of the year has come around, when South Korea's top filmmakers and actors turn into film festival programmers. The 4th Cinematheque Friends Film Festival will take place Jan. 29-March 1 in Seoul, and director Park Chan-wook and some 20 other cineastes will meet with the audience to show and discuss 26 movies they have personally selected.
"I don't think there is a film festival like the Cinematheque Friends Film Festival anywhere else in the world," Park told reporters last week in Seoul. "Where else can you see all the representative cineastes ― directors, critics and stars ― gather in one place to introduce, watch and discuss old movies with fans?"
Director Park Chan-wook
"Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans" (1927) by F.W. Murnau will open the festival. Actors Kwon Hae-hyo and Ye Ji-won will host the opening event at Cinematheque Seoul Art Cinema in Jongno.
The country's singular "cinema library" will transform into "The Cinematheque of Happiness," a venue for screenings and live conversation. Festival programmers have chosen classic Hollywood movies including Marylin Monroe's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953), and other selections by participating actors and directors vary in time and space, ranging from Italian classics to Korean contemporary films.
Conversing With Stars
Park, the creator of the "Vengeance" trilogy, and director Oh Seung-uk ("Kilimanjaro" ) chose three films starring the "best villains'" : Marco Ferreri's "The Grande Bouffe" (1973), Andrzej Zulawski's " Possession" (1981) and Jules Dassin's "Night and the City" (1950). They will join the audience after each screening (Feb. 7-8) to discuss the films.
Director Jeon Kye-soo ("Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater" ) and heartthrob Ha Jung-woo ("The Chaser" ) will join the audience for "His Girl Friday" (1940), Feb. 20. Jeon said he chose the movie because his upcoming project starring Ha is also a romantic comedy. "When romantic comedies started to appear in the sound film era, 'His Girl Friday' presented something new and fresh. It is heavy with dialogue and takes place in a limited space, but it has an exciting tempo," he said, adding that the film might inspire him for his own work. "I also wanted to show Ha Jung-woo, Cary Grant," he said.
Ryu Seung-wan, the hip young maker of "Dachimawa Lee," will speak about "All the Marbles" (1981) Feb. 12 and "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" director Kim Jee-woon will present "Boy Meets Girl" (1984) Feb. 14. The following evening, veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki will provide commentaries on "Midnight Cowboy" (1969).
Hong Sang-soo, the master of minimal realism ("Night and Day" ), will present "Greed" (1924) Feb. 22.
Also featured in the festival is "Mouchette" (1967) by Robert Bresson. "Cinema Angels" ― actors Lee Na-young, Kim Joo-hyuk, Shin Ha-kyun, Jung Jae-young, Ha Jung-woo, Park Hae-il and Kim Kang-woo ― have donated funds to purchase the film for the cinematheque.
Festivalgoers will also be able to see an exhibition of photos taken by some 30 cineastes, including directors Im Kwon-taek, Park Chan-wook and Im Soon-rye and actors Ha Jung-woo and Ryu Seung-bum.
Many non-English language films are offered with English subtitles. Tickets cost 6,000 won for adults, 5,000 won for teenagers and 4,000 won for senior citizens and the physically disabled. Admissions for the opening ceremony is 10,000 won (including the after party).
Visit www.cinematheque.seoul.kr for more information.
Credits: Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter ([email protected]) via The Korea Times |
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January 20, 2009
Actress Spied Over Duplicated Phones
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Jun Ji-hyun
Actress Jun Ji-hyun, 27, may have had her mobile phone tapped by her own agent, police said Monday.
They believe the alleged culprits were trying to exert control over all aspects of her life. Members of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency raided the office of entertainment agency Sidus HQ Monday night to secure computer hard discs, documents on its client management and materials related to Jun.
They have also tracked the IP address of those who logged on to a Web site to check Jun's text messages and the company's bank accounts and found that three Sidus staff were using them. Police are to question the company head and other employees. They are investigating whether the agency tried to bug all of Jun's phone conversations.
Since Jun's contract with the company ends next month, said police, it is highly likely that all Jun's moves were monitored. The investigation was launched following a previous probe of a private detective agency that watches people at the request of their clients.
Police recently arrested three staff at the agency, which made 40 duplicated mobile phones at the request of clients who suspected their spouses of infidelity and in cases of property feud since October 2006, receiving between 1 and 4 million won per case. The police agency has also secured a list of targets who were watched. Police said the agency staff also confirmed that Sidus had ordered the duplicated phones around November 2007.
The suspect devices can monitor text messages and the police said the phones could have been used at many other agencies which look after celebrities. "Jun is also aware of the investigation. She was rather aloof about what she had heard," a police insider said.
Police revealed Tuesday that Sidus manager Park had partially admitted to the allegations. "He said the company has asked for duplication,'' an officer said. That was a complete about face on what Sidus said a day earlier. The company had said that it planned no wiretapping or monitoring on any of its celebrities, claiming that amounted to entrapment.
Sidus head Jung Hun-tak first picked up Jun about 10 years ago. She was styled as the girl next door on TV commercials.
Jun and Jung were even reported to have planned marriage in 2004, which they later sued a newspaper company over and received an apology and 30 million won for the printing of "false information."
Credits: bjs@koreatimes.co.kr |
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January 20, 2009
Film 'Antique' to Visit Berlin Film Festival
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The film "Antique," directed by Min Kyu-dong, has been invited to the Berlin International Film Festival, according to the production company Soo Film.
The delightful story of four pretty boys managing a cake shop will knock on the doors of the non-competitive "Culinary Cinema" section, which is in its third year and brings various food-themed films from around the world. The section also features gala screenings of the films followed by meals prepared by some of Europe's finest chefs.
The film, starring Ju Ji-hun, Kim Jae-wook and Yu A-in, is based on the namesake Japanese best-selling novel and was a hit among young women who enjoyed watching the model-turned actors making cakes and revealing their secrets in the movie.
Min is expected to visit Berlin during the festival and attend the official gatherings and meetings.
Other films that have been invited for the section include "Food Inc." by documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner, "Mid-August Lunch" by Italian director Gianni Di Gregorio and Spanish comedy "Dieta Mediterranea" by Joaquin Oristrell.
Along with "Antique," Korea now has seven local films that have been invited to the film festival, including short film "Blooming in Spring" by Jung Ji-yeon for the Generation 14 Plus section and the films "My Dear Enemy" by Lee Yoon-ki, "Land of Scarecrows" by Roh Gyeong-tae, "Treeless Mountain" by Kim So-young, "Members of the Funeral" by Baek Seung-bin and "The Day After "by Lee Suk-gyung for the Forum section.
Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr |
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