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March 23, 2009
TV Star-Turned-Academic Has Hopes for Korean Wave
Park Jung-sook /Yonhap
Park Jung-sook, who disappeared from the public eye after playing Queen Munjeong in the 2004 hit period drama "Jewel in the Palace," has returned as an expert on what is known as the Korean Wave.
"The Korean Wave should not remain in the realm of media such as dramas and films only, but become a way of life," the 39-year old says. "The price of Korean Wave content is too high at the moment. We cannot ignore the money issue completely, but there is a need to rationalize the pricing when exporting it."
Park went back to university after finishing shooting "Jewel in the Palace" in 2004, winning a masters' degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in February 2008. She is now a visiting professor at the Institute of International Education at KyungHee University. She has lectured on the Asia-wide Korean pop culture craze at Harvard and Columbia Universities over the past few years.
"I am coming back to broadcasting for the first time in four years," she says. On Mar. 30, she starts a current affairs radio program for Seoul Traffic Broadcasting.
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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March 23, 2009
U.S. Court Orders 'Rain' to Pay $8 Million
/Newsis
A court in the United States has ordered Korean entertainer Rain to pay more than US$8 million for cancelling a scheduled concert in Honolulu in 2007.
A federal jury in Hawaii said the 26-year-old and his agency should pay Click Entertainment, the Hawaiian promoter, compensation including punitive damages of nearly $5 million.
However, Rain and JYP Entertainment say they fulfilled their obligations for the concert and Click's contract was with another promotion company called Revolution Entertainment, which then owned the North American rights to Rain's concerts.
Arirang News
http://english.chosun.com/w21dat ... 3/200903230034.html |
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March 23, 2009
Police Find 'Brothel' at Jang Ja-yeon Management Firm
Bundang police on Sunday raided the management company of the actress Jang Ja-yeon, who committed suicide two weeks ago after alleging the firm pimped her to several influential figures and threatened violence if she refused to have sex with them. Police said they raided a building the company used until December 2008 and confiscated 201 items such as computers and contracts with entertainers.
The fugitive head of the firm, identified as Kim, bought the building in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, in August 2005, and used it as his office until October 2008. It had two stories at the time of purchase, but Kim added a floor and kitted it out as what looks like a brothel. The ground floor was used as a wine bar, the middle floor as office, and the top floor has a bedroom, shower and karaoke facilities, the police said.
Police suspect it was there that Jang was forced to serve drinks, act as an escort and have sex with media executives, CEOs, producers and politicians who would help boost her career.
Investigators will look at CCTV recordings around the building to identify people who frequented it. They are also looking into the history of Jang's phone calls and deleted text messages to trace her steps leading up to her suicide.
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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March 23, 2009
Shin Flies High in "My Scary Girl"
by Chung Ah-young,
Staff Reporter
Musical star/actor Shin Sung-rok talks to The Korea Times about acting and his
current musical, "My Scary Girl." The musical will run through May 17. / Korea Times
Photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Shin Sung-rok might be one of the busiest actors in the business these days, with work ranging from a TV drama and a variety show to a musical.
Shin, better known as a musical star, is currently garnering fresh popularity from a reality TV show, "We Got Married,'' and a recently-finished drama, "The Golden Age of My Life.'' But he is shining the most brightly on stage in the ongoing musical "My Scary Girl.''
"My Scary Girl," based on the Korean film of the same title, is now on stage at Chungmu Art Hall after a year of revision and development. "The musical is like my old home and it made me what I am now, so I can't stop performing the musicals however busy I get. I always covet a good musical and try to do it because a good musical won't wait for me,'' Shin said in an interview with The Korea Times.
Shin debuted in the musical "Mosquito'' in 2004 and starred in some 10 musicals later on. The 27-year-old actor originally dreamed of becoming a basketball player when he was young, but after an injury, he aimed to become an actor. "Many good actors started their acting careers on the stage, so I decided to do the same and build up acting experience and hone my craft,'' he said.
Shin said that when he performed in the musical "Mosquito,'' there were only 20-25 audience members in the 500-seat hall. "I was really depressed and frustrated but the experience made me strong and helped me become an actor with plenty of guts,'' said Shin.
In the musical "My Scary Girl," Shin plays Hwang Dae-woo, a 30-year-old college English instructor who's never had a date. He falls in love with a mysterious girl named Lee Mina, who murders several men. As in the film, the character of Dae-woo, shy, wacky and fainthearted, is crucial for delivering black humor and romantic elements to the audience. "It's a romantic comedy but the uniquely clownish characters and wacky storyline deliver hearty amusement,'' he said.
In the musical, a kimchi refrigerator, which is used to store the corpses, plays a key role in unfolding the plot. Meanwhile, two actors with multiple roles, who play Mina's ex-boyfriend, a ghost and other characters, are good for the musical's comical twist. "I like this kind of shy and fainthearted character, and I'm good at it. Dae-woo resembles me in some senses; I am also faint-hearted in some ways, so it was fun for me to play Dae-woo. I was confident that it would be successful. I also think it's proper for small-sized theaters in which the audience can communicate with actors and feel their every breath,'' Shin said.
He said the musical is unique. "It's sad and at the same time funny. I don't think the musical should be the same as the film. It portrays the work differently. We just adopt the good elements from the film on stage. Just enjoy the musical version without comparing it with the film,'' said Shin.
Asked about his interpretation of the role, he said he tries to portray the character while interacting with the counterpart. "I don't intentionally make my own character appeal to the audience. But I communicate with a director in making the scenes better and sometimes it works and then some scenes get changed,'' he said.
He has recently finished the drama, "The Golden Age of My Life,'' in which he had a leading role. "When I starred in a TV drama, I felt uncomfortable with equipment around. But now I feel at ease and can concentrate on my role,'' he said.
Shin said that he believes his foray into variety shows and films and TV dramas might help draw larger audiences to the theater. "I hope many become familiar with me through more diverse channels and come to see the musicals and boost musical culture. Personally, I want to let my name become widely known to general audiences,'' he said.
Concerning the recent boom of celebrities rushing to musicals, he said it's a matter of choice for them but the result can be harsh for some. "Any stars can join musical performances. But if they are not competent enough to show their talents on stage, their appearances on stage will be their first and their last. But some celebrities, such as Bada, Ock Ju-hyun and Lee Ji-hoon have been successful and their performances are well appreciated among their peers,'' he said.
He said that after "We Got Married,'' he would stop appearing on variety entertainment shows to focus on acting. "I like musicals because I can communicate with the audience. Also, TV dramas and films are good at portraying characters in detail. I will show better performances in my new work,'' he said.
"My Scary Girl'' debuted in the United States last July. The musical joined the lineup of the 2008 Musical Theater Lab for new musicals in the development of the Barrington Stage Company (BSC). It was the first Korean work ever selected by the BSC, the renowned American performing arts support group, to be presented to its theater lab.
Based on a 2006 Korean comedy/horror/romance film, "My Scary Girl" received positive reviews in the United States for its fresh and creative ideas.
Prominent composer Will Aronson provides the music with lyrics by Kang Kyoung-ae, who co-wrote a book with Mark St. Germain.
Credits: chungay@koreatimes.co.kr |
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March 23, 2009
'Tokyo Sonata' best film at Asian Film Awards
The Associated Press
HONG KONG: Japanese cinema dominated the third Asian Film Awards on Monday as "Tokyo Sonata" won best picture and Hirokazu Koreeda was named best director for another family drama, "Still Walking."
Riding on the success of its recent best foreign film win at the Oscars, a third Japanese movie, "Departures," clinched best actor for Masahiro Motoki, who played an unemployed cellist who learns how to prepare bodies for burial.
China's Zhou Xun was named best actress for her performance in the psychological thriller "The Equation of Love and Death."
"I am very happy that Japanese film can cross borders," Koreeda told reporters backstage after his win late Monday.
All three Japanese movies revolve around family relationships. "Tokyo Sonata" describes the breakdown of a family after the father loses his job; "Still Walking" follows a family reunion to honor the death of the eldest son; in "Departures," Motoki's character comes to terms with the death of his absentee father.
"Tokyo Sonata" director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who is not related to famed late Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, said his movie is reflective of family problems in Japan. Kurosawa said he wanted to convey through the movie that "you can never abandon hope, no matter how little hope there is."
Koreeda, who received his award from "Platoon" director Oliver Stone and "The Last Emperor" star Joan Chen, told reporters backstage "Still Walking" was a personal film because he made it after his mother passed away, but said he enjoyed the shoot because he was pleased with the cast. "I only have fond memories of the shoot. It was always happy moments," Koreeda said.
Motoki, who received his trophy from Oscar winner William Hurt and producer Arthur Cohn, said the theme of death in "Departures" was universal. "It's not just about the negative aspects of death. It's also about how you can accept death in a peaceful way and move on positively," he said.
Chinese actress Zhou said she prepared for her role by asking her boyfriend not visit her on set so she could feel lonely, adding that she had a hard time withdrawing from the character. "I felt a great sense of loss after finishing the movie," she told reporters backstage.
Adding to the event's pan-Asian flavor, trade publication The Hollywood Reporter presented the Nielsen Box Office Award to 25-year-old Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. The former Miss World enjoyed a sizzling 2008, which saw her in six releases, including two of the year's biggest hits |
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March 23, 2009
Jung Woo-sung Wins at Asian Film Awards
Top Korean movie star Jung Woo-sung won best supporting actor抯 award at the third Asian Film Awards for his role in kimchi-western 揟he Good, the Bad, the Weird. |
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March 24, 2009
Hwang Jung-min, Kim A-joong to Appear in KBS2 Drama
Hwang Jung-min appears in a TV drama for the first time since his debut 14 years ago.
Actor Hwang Jung-min and actress Kim A-joong have been cast for the leading roles of a new KBS2 drama with the working title of 揝ix Months, |
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March 24, 2009
Park Chan-wook New Film Generating Massive Buzz
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook's new movie "Thirst," released on Apr. 30, is already generating a huge buzz on the Internet at home and abroad. The preview trailer on YouTube has drawn 150,000 hits so far, and over 150 replies in three to four days.
Whether it will get an invitation from the Cannes Film Festival is another topic for speculation. AFP mentions "Thirst" and Bong Joon-ho's "Mother" as potential Korean invitees. The decision will be made in late April or early May.
"Thirst," follows Park's last movie after a two-year interval and is a melodrama about an illicit love affair between a priest who becomes a vampire after getting a blood transfusion from an unknown person and the wife of his friend.
The original poster (left) and the revised version
"You get a glimpse of a thirst for forbidden love, the moral dilemma that a person goes through under extreme circumstances," Park explains. "A priest is a sacred, and sacrificing, figure, but in the movie, he can only survive on the blood of others. I wanted to express the angst that the main character experiences in this dilemma."
Source: English Chosun |
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March 24, 2009
Movie Review
Epic film noir rich in period detail
By Shin Hae-in
SEOUL, March 24 (Yonhap) -- The last thing a murder mystery is expected to do is give away the culprit in its title: a rule "Private Eye (Geulimjasalin)" chooses to completely ignore.
With the Korean title meaning "shadow killing," the film gives much away from the very beginning. Yet it is a gripping epic even if the mystery is less than well-concealed, and the story remains captivating throughout.
Set in the late Joseon Dynasty period of 1910 just before the Japanese colonization of the Korean Peninsula, the film is rich in period detail, with a solid scenario and skillful acting more than compensating for any lack of suspense of the culprit's identity.
Gwang-su (Ryu Deok-hwan), an ambitious physician in training under a Japanese mentor, discovers a corpse in the woods and takes it home to conduct an autopsy. Discovering that the body is the son of one of the Dynasty's most powerful men, the young doctor-to-be is worried that he may be wrongly charged with murder and entreats Jin-ho (Hwang Jeong-min), a police-turned-private detective, to solve the murder case.
Superbly paired and matching intuition with reasoning, Jin-ho and Gwang-su launch a dangerous investigation, stumbling upon another murder, and authorities who seem strangely reluctant to find the real killer. However instead of building up the suspense around the culprit, "Private Eye" chooses to reveal the killer's face early in the film. It remains highly compelling, however, to watch the flamboyant detective and the timid trainee physician build up a sense of responsibility in solving the case, which exposes the twisted desires of high-ranking officials and young girls victimized by them.
"The last thing I wanted was a brain-racking plot," director and playwright of the film Park Dae-min told audiences at the preview Monday. "I wanted to create something simple and easy enough for audiences to follow, while being captivated by it all the while."
With the scenario winning the Makdongi Scenario Contest in 2005 -- one of the most acclaimed scenario contests in Korea -- "Private Eye" received attention from movie critics long before its crank-up.
The film undeniably benefits from seasoned acting by award-winning actor Hwang Jeong-min of "You're My Sunshine" and Ryu Deok-hwan, who brilliantly supports Hwang's staunch character in a refined, boyish kind of way. "The two paired off excellently," director Park said. "The movie became more lively and fun because there were two, not one, solving the case."
The movie takes advantage of the period it's set in, as it fuses noir thriller tropes with contemporary action styles in a potent brew. The streets of Gyeongseong, the ancient capital of Korea, are fresh to the viewers' eyes as the film ignores historical factors and creates sets mixing gothic, baroque and renaissance architectural styles.
To tag this film simply as a "Korean film noir" doesn't seem to do it justice; audiences will discover not only dead bodies, gangsters and suspense, but comical twists and a historical quest in it.
The movie, with a running time of 111 minutes, will hit local theaters April 2.
Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews.co.kr
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March 24, 2009
Rain Faces Provisional Seizure of Property
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Singer Rain
A building in southern Seoul owned by K-pop star Rain may be provisionally banned from being disposed of following his loss in a compensation lawsuit in the United States over a concert cancellation.
But Rain's agency, JTune Entertainment, said that any provisional seizure of the building would be impossible according to domestic law. Last Thursday, a federal court in Hawaii ordered the 26-year-old star and his then-agency, JYP Entertainment, to pay more than $8 million (11 billion won) in compensation to Honolulu-based promoter Click Entertainment. They also have to pay lawyers' fees for Click, with the total compensation reaching $9 million (12 billion won).
The concert, part of his world tour "Rain's Coming," was canceled several days before its scheduled date in June 2007. Click President Lee Seung-su testified that he lost about $1.5 million and suffered damage to his reputation and business due to the cancellation.
After the verdict, Lee said Monday that he will take a step to provisionally seize Rain's and JYP's property, including Rain's building in Cheongdam-dong, which he purchased last year. The price of the building is estimated at over 15 billion won. Lee said he would also seek authorization to attach all earnings that Rain has made with the William Morris Agency, an entertainment company with which Rain signed a contract last year for his U.S. activities.
JTune and Click, however, have different opinions about whether the latter can seize the building.
JTune said Tuesday that even if Click starts a provisional seizure process, the seizure is impossible. "The seizure of JYT's real estate in the U.S. and here may be possible, but the request to attach Rain's Korean property is impossible according to Korean law. Click may be able to seize Rain's earnings through William Morris," an official of the company said.
Meanwhile, Click said a "provisional" seizure was possible while actual seizure was impossible, saying a Korean court would likely allow the former if the company submits the U.S. court's ruling as evidence.
In the ruling, the federal court ordered Rain and JYP to pay $2.4 million each in punitive damages, $1 million for damages related to fraud and $2.2 million for breach of contract.
Rain's lawyer said they canceled the concert because a proper stage was not ready and Rain could not use his name in the U.S. due to a copyright challenge from a Beatles tribute band named Rain. The star also testified that he had every intention to perform and he had no hand in the cancellation.
JTune said it is preparing an appeal. It is said that Rain and JYP spent more than 500 million won in fees for five lawyers.
Credits: rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr |
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March 24, 2009
[MOVIE REVIEW] Hwang convincing in detective role
"Private Eye," written and directed by Park Dae-min, tackles a genre not particularly favored by Korean audiences, but achieves dramatic tension thanks largely to a well-crafted lead role.
The film -- based on debut director Park's script which won the 2005 Makdoongyi Screenplay Contest -- centers on Jin-ho (Hwang Jung-min), a private eye who deals mostly with trivial cases. It is set in Seoul in 1910, while Korea is under Japanese colonial rule.
Jin-ho's routine is disrupted when he gets dragged into a high-profile murder case. The case comes from a budding physician Gwang-soo (Ryu Deok-hwan), who stumbles upon an abandoned corpse in a field. The corpse turns out to be the son of a powerful Joseon politician, and the duo set out to find out the mysterious murderer.
'Private Eye'
Once the whodunit gets going, two intriguing characters are thrown in. First is female inventor Sun-deok (Um Ji-won), whose identity remains largely cloaked behind the countless gadgets she produces in her secret laboratory. Following the conventions of a typical detective film, she supplies a handful of gizmos to private eye Jin-ho.
Another supporting character to note is Young-dal (Oh Dal-su), a Jongno police chief who follows the same murder case, seeking fame and wealth. Young-dal's gentle smile, however, cannot be taken at face value. For the first half of the film, the plot progresses slowly. Instead, director Park focuses on building up a cinematic chemistry between Jin-ho and Gwang-soo -- and rightly so.
Award-winning actor Hwang Jung-min puts in a smooth performance as Jin-ho, as if he were born to be a private detective yearning for a way out of his gloomy reality. His overall body language is also fairly natural, demonstrating his talent in embracing his role to the full.
Ryu Deok-hwan's Gwang-soo is fleshed out equally faithfully. Ryu, an up-and-coming actor, brings to life a likable and bubbly sidekick, who often accentuates the detective character's stylish posturing. The duo's lighthearted moments, however, are not frequent enough to compensate the dark mood that underlies the main plot. The film is for 15-year-olds or older but the subject matter seems to go beyond the rating. Moreover, some audiences are likely to find a couple of climatic scenes unpleasant.
Luckily, "Private Eye" relies heavily on the charm of Hwang Jung-min to get the story rolling and hide the key puzzle until the last moment -- a decision by the director that pays off eventually.
But the question remains. Given Hwang's undisputed talent, he might have pulled off an attractive postmodern detective character if the story was set in modern-day Seoul. "Private Eye" is part of a series of Korean films that taps into the country's early 20th century, when today's Seoul was called Gyeongseong. Last year, saw several period films, including "Once Upon a Time," "Radio Days," "Modern Boy" and "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," with limited success.
"Private Eye," produced and distributed by CJ Entertainment, will open in local theaters on April 2.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected]) via koreaherald.co.kr |
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March 24, 2009
TVXQ in Guinness World Record
Idol group TVXQ put its name on the Guinness World Record Book for the second time. The super hot quintet was listed in the world record book as the most photographed celebrity in the world. From the day of their debut to March 19, 2009, the five members are estimated to have been photographed about 500 million times in magazines, albums jackets, and commercials, etc. The total figure includes individual photos as well as group pictures.
This is the second time that TVXQ made it in the Guinness World Record Book, following the one in 2008 for having the largest official fan club. Cassiopeia, the male band抯 official fan club claimed of having more than 800 thousand members.
Source: KBS World |
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March 25, 2009
Cho Hae-ryun Planning Debut in US Before 50
Comedienne Cho Hae-ryun is aiming to work her way to the U.S. after she successfully made her debut in Japan.
In a press conference for the cable channel Story On抯 new reality show 揝uper Mom |
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March 25, 2009
Female Big Bang to be Unveiled
Long mysterious female group is to be unveiled this weekend. Tentatively named 揊emale Big Bang, |
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March 24, 2009
Jung Woo-sung named best supporting actor at Hong Kong festival
Korean actor Jung Woo-sung was selected the best supporting actor for his role in "The Good, the Bad, the Weird" at Hong Kong's Asian Film Awards, Yonhap News Agency reported citing the event's website Tuesday.
Jung played "the good" in the Korean spaghetti western, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and drew the largest audience at home last year. Jung competed with three other candidates including Lee Byung-hun who starred in the same movie as "the bad."
The movie, directed by Kim Jee-woon, was nominated in eight categories at this year's AFA, including best film and best actor.
Source: koreaherald.co.kr, image from mydaily via nate.com |
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March 25, 2009
Actor Cha In-pyo releases his first novel
Korean Wave star Cha In-pyo has published "Jalgayo, Eondeok (Goodbye, Hill)," marking the first novel written by a Korean actor.
Cha, widely known in both Korea and China for his roles in high-profile television dramas and films, said he started working on the story in 1997, when a Korean comfort woman returned to the country after years of isolation and neglect.
"When I saw her coming back to Korea on television after spending years in Cambodia, I noticed her small figure, and I cried a lot because I realized her precious life was completely destroyed," said Cha at a news conference held in Seoul yesterday.
The Korean comfort woman, known here as Grandmother Hun, inspired Cha to write a 20-page story in the summer of 2008. But Cha was forced to give up on his literary endeavor due to his tight acting schedule. It was in September 2008 when he turned the story into a 232-page novel about a Korean couple in a village on the edge of Mount Baekdu in the 1930s who get swept by the turbulence of the times.
The novel revolves around the importance of peace and forgiveness through the main characters, including a boy who comes to a village to get revenge on a tiger that hurt his mother, a local girl and a Japanese military officer. "When I was writing this novel, I realized there was a huge gap between what I wanted to write and what I knew. To write properly, I checked basic historical facts and related details, ranging from the Japanese military system to the flowers growing on Mount Baekdu," he said.
Cha is known for his enthusiasm in helping out the underprivileged, working for charity organizations such as Compassion for years together with his wife, Shin Ae-ra. Last year, Cha raised public awareness about North Korean refugees by taking the lead role in the film "Crossing." When the film was released here, he delivered his message about the serious problems facing many North Koreans who risked their lives to escape from the North.
"If there is common ground between 'Crossing' and this novel, it's compassion for other people. What's important is that we should actively engage in helping out those in need instead of feeling a brief compassion," Cha said.
The 41-year-old actor said he felt grateful for the efforts and suffering of the previous generations, especially concerning the poverty-stricken eras of Korea. Cha said he hopes readers would notice the importance of Korean grandfathers and grandmothers who weathered the difficult times, a suffering that is now almost forgotten. "When I visited the house where elderly Korean comfort women were staying in April 2007, I saw eight old ladies sitting in line to take their last photographs. I wondered whether our future generation would ever remember and appreciate their suffering," Cha said.
The comfort women issue, involving Korean and other Asian women who were forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II, remains still unresolved due to the denial of the Japanese government. "What I fear is that the same tragedy could be repeated as long as there is no one taking responsibility for the past atrocities," Cha said.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected]) via koreaherald.co.kr |
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March 24, 2009
BoA Unable to Make Pre-Game Performance
In this handout picture provided by Hard Rock Cafe, Korean pop singer BoA performs following a donation of memorabilia from her recent tour at the Hard Rock Cafe in Los Angeles March 21. / Reuters-Yonhap
South Korea's pop star BoA was unable to make a pre-game performance at the second World Baseball Classic Tuesday due to fever and swollen tonsils.
SM Entertainment said, "BoA had been scheduled to perform before the Korea-Japan baseball final at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles but the abrupt illness forced her to cancel the plan.''
BoA, who had recently entered the American market, has been sick in recent days with her busy schedule in Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Last week, BoA, the Korean-born pop phenom who has sold millions of records in Asia, released her first U.S. album amid high expectations that she will be able to reenact her success story in Japan in the world's largest album market.
The album contains 11 songs including flagship song "I Did It For Love," and dance tracks "Energetic," "Eat You Up," and "Look Who's Talking." The flagship song was written by Sean Garrett, the famous American producer, and its video was directed by Joseph Kahn, who has made promos for Britney Spears, Chris Brown and Eminem and won the Best Video of the Year and Best Direction in the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards.
Source: koreatimes.co.krl |
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March 25, 2009
Singer Lee Mee-ja receives high medal of cultural merit
A legendary singer with some 600 albums in her discography was given the nation's second-highest order of cultural merit on Wednesday by President Lee Myung-bak, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Lee Mee-ja, 67, was awarded the Eun-Gwan Medal in a ceremony at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, becoming the first singer to receive the recognition. She began singing professionally at the age of 17 and has since released some 600 albums containing more than 2,100 songs, the largest number by a single crooner in the country. She also commands a large following in Japan.
"The president asked Lee Mee-ja to continue her devotion to inspiring the people through her activities so that the people, who are now facing unprecedented economic and social difficulties, can brace for yet another challenge," Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.
" President Lee's personal investiture of the Eun-Gwan Medal to Lee Mee-ja will be an opportunity in which we can further promote our popular music here and abroad while also changing our people's perception of popular music," the presidential office said.
Medal recipients also included Lee Jong-hwan, head of a local chemical company who donated his life savings of some 600 billion won (US$432 million) to set up a scholarship fund.
The 85-year-old was presented with Mugunghwa Medal, the highest of order of civil merit, Cheong Wa Dae said.
Source: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEW ... 25/200903250090.asp |
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March 26, 2009
Legendary Singer Receives Presidential Award
Legendary singer Lee Mee-ja received the nation's second highest decoration of cultural merit from the president Wednesday. It was the first time that a pop music singer received the Eungwan medal.
The 67-year-old singer debuted when she was 17 and over her 50-year career has released more than 600 albums of some 2,000 songs.
Singer Lee Mee-ja receives the Eungwan medal from President Lee Myung-bak on Wednesday.
President Lee Myung-bak asked the singer to continue inspiring people with her songs amid tough economic times.
The presidential office said that the order would provide a chance to promote Korea's popular music both at home and abroad.
Arirang News via
chosun.com |
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March 25, 2009
Hollywood producer Lee to give tips
Roy Lee, the Korean-American film producer who helped remake Asian films, is scheduled to visit Seoul to give a lecture aimed at helping Korean filmmakers enter the U.S. entertainment market. The Korean Culture and Content Agency said the workshop will be held at the L Tower in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
Lee is behind the remake of Korean film "A Tale of Two Sisters," and other Asian films such as "The Ring" and "The Departed." Lee will explore strategies and tips for getting into the American movie market, featuring recent cases.
Lee is currently working on the remake of major Korean thriller movies such as "Oldboy," "The Host," and "The Chaser." For an application, visit KOCCA's homepage at www.wecon.kr
Credits: [email protected]
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/03/26/200903260043.asp
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