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June 5, 2009
JUN Ji-hyun Readies Debut on World Stage
Top Korean actress and model JUN Ji-hyun, going by her international name Giana Jun, is currently travelling Asia on a press tour for her upcoming worldwide debut, Blood: The Last Vampire. Released in Japan last week, where much of the film was shot, the manga-comic based thriller will be released in Korea and across most of Asia this June, with a US release slated for July.
JUN plays Saya, a 400-year-old vampire in a 16-year-old body, who, in the guise of student at a US army base in Tokyo, must hunt down demons and discover their leader. It is both the actress |
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June 5, 2009
Actress' Heirs to Compensate Advertiser for 'Disgrace'
Late actress Choi Jin-sil
A court has ruled that the heirs of the late actress Choi Jin-sil must compensate an advertiser since she failed to maintain her dignity as a model when pictures of her after a beating by her then-husband Cho Sung-min were publicized in media. A construction company sued Choi in 2004 for W3 billion (US$1=W1,250) for damages incurred and the modeling fee paid.
The Supreme Court on Thursday reversed a ruling that cleared Choi of responsibility and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.
The company paid Choi W250 million in March 2004 for modeling for apartment buildings. The contract included a clause that if Choi disgraced the image of the company by damaging her social and moral image through her own fault, she would repay the firm twice the modeling fee. Five months later, pictures of her beaten and of the inside of her house in a chaotic state were released.
Because Choi died in October 2008 when the case was under Supreme Court review, her status passed to her eight-year-old son and six-year-old daughter. Choi's mother is acting as legal guardian.
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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Thanks to the highlight by mimerita at soompi.com
June 5, 2009
John Woo selects KIM Jong-hak
Global star director JOHN Woo puts his faith in Korean director KIM Jong-hak to realize the classic epic Chinese tale Magic Bell's cinematic 3D special effects laden adaptation. KIM was praised for his pan-Asian television hit drama The Legend of Four Gods.
John Woo's business partner Terence Chang said he was impressed by KIM's The Legend of Four Gods because of its 揾igh production values and ground-breaking visual style |
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June 5, 2009
PiFan Shorts Jury and Industry Program Announced
The upcoming Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan) (July 16 |
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June 5, 2009
Mother Triumphs over Competition
The Korean weekend box-office saw peak traffic with BONG Joon-ho抯 latest thriller Mother facing off against Hollywood抯 Terminator Salvation. Mother emerged the winner, claiming over 1.4 million admissions in its first four days. BONG抯 fourth feature was highly anticipated by audiences after the director抯 previous hits Memories of Murder (2003) and The Host (2006) won him a broad domestic fan-base.
Mother topped the chart, an impressive feat considering competition from Hollywood heavy-hitters, Terminator and Angels & Demons, which took second and third place. BONG抯 small town thriller dominated theaters nationwide, playing on 765 screens, with Terminator a close second on 716 screens, together accounting for over 70% of the nations screens.
After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival earlier in May where it drew rave reviews from critics and ovations from audiences, Mother became one of the most talked about and eagerly anticipated locals films of the first half of 2009, along with PARK Chan-wook抯 vampire-thriller, Thirst.
Veteran TV actress KIM Hye-ja gives a solid performance as a mother who takes on the local police when her half-wit son is blamed for a gruesome crime. Actor and popular heartthrob WON Bin plays the shy, near-imbecile Do-jun, who at 27 is still a virgin living with his mom.
Credits: Nigel D扴a (KOFIC)
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June 5, 2009
CJ to Expand Art House Film Screenings
Korea抯 exhibition major CJ-CGV will expand the number of screens its multiplex franchise has devoted to art house and independent films from seven to ten. Under a program entitled Movie Collage, CJ-CGV抯 specialty films team plans to expand the base for diversity films and support the discovery of talented new filmmakers.
CJ-CGV encourages promotion and distribution of local low-budget films through various platforms such as sponsorship of festivals (Cinema Digital Seoul, Pusan Int抣 FF) and awards such as the CJ-CGV Korean Film Distribution Award at the Jeonju Int抣 FF, which this year went to SHIN Dong-il抯 Bandhobi.
The exhibitor recently also announced a deal with indie and art house importer and producer Sponge Entertainment to screen a number of Sponge抯 local independent films. Upcoming or in-release films on the Movie Collage slate include Boat, starring HA Jung-woo, HONG Sang-soo抯 Like You Know It All and JEON Soo-il抯 Himalaya, Where The Wind Dwells.
Credits: Nigel D扴a (KOFIC) |
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June 6, 2009
Koh Hyun-jung Talks About Changes On Screen and Off
Koh Hyun-jung
MBC drama "The Great Queen Seondeok," whose star-studded cast generated much advance hype, is getting receiving rave reviews for the successful transformation of Koh Hyun-jung into a charismatic baddie.
On the way from Mt. Jiri to Gyeongju for the shoot, Koh spoke to the Chosun Ilbo. Her beauty-queen looks seem time-resistant, and the series in which she appeared always enjoyed high viewer's rating. But then she was the star, and when the news broke out that she had been cast in "The Great Queen Seondeok," everyone thought she would be the star again. Instead, she plays the part of Misil, a royal concubine who is the antagonist of Queen Seondeok.
"I think I got used to playing parts who fight for justice, very attractive characters who would sacrifice small things for the greater cause. Misil, on the other hand, focuses on getting what she wants. She is a very direct and frank character," Koh says. The change of role perhaps reflects the changes that took place within the actress herself. Once notorious for declining to appear on entertainment programs other than dramas or films, she maintained a mysterious image for a long time. But recently, Koh began to appear on variety and talk shows and talked very frankly about herself. Her new easy-going, and down-to-earth attitude reflects a philosophical view of the many ups and downs in life. In previous interviews with other magazines, Koh frankly expressed her feelings towards her ex-husband and children.
She also talked about her thoughts on acting. Her 10 years of absence from the scene, which coincided with her marriage to the heir to a giant conglomerate, was precious time in giving her the opportunity to see herself objectively, but lost time from an actress' perspective. "In the end, it all comes down to time," she says. "How you manage time correlates with success. I try to focus on and put my energy into the most important things because I don't have much time. My hope is to use myself most effectively at the right time in the right place."
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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June 5, 2009
'Two Days and One Night' Cast Competes with 80 Staffers for Bed
'Two Days and One Night' Big Match day -- 6 cast vs 80 staff, in a showdown over where to sleep
[TV Report]The popular corner "Two Days and One Night" on the KBS2 entertainment program "Happy Sunday" featured a large-scale match between its six cast members and the 80 staff members of the program.
The competition over the sleep site has typically taken place among the six cast members. But in the episode that aired Sunday, MC Kang Ho-dong made a surprise proposal and proposed a challenge between the cast members and the entire staff. If the six won, the 80 staffers had to unconditionally sleep outside in the wild.
The two sides competed in table tennis, badminton and football. Six staff members were chosen from the production, camera, lighting, sound, managing and writing teams for a big match with the six cast members over where to sleep.
Kang was up for the table tennis match. In a grueling battle with a staff writer, Kang won. Eun Ji-won and MC Mong competed in badminton. They were winning easily, but then one of their rackets touched the net, and the tide soon turned. They eventually gave away the victory to the staff team. Every point and every win mattered to the fate of the entire 80 staffers, and it showed.
The winning side was determined in the ball match. The staff team was upbeat after their badminton victory, while the cast team for the ball match (Lee Seung-ki, Kim C, Lee Su-geun) made mistakes and eventually lost the critical third round. The cast team ended up sleeping out in the cold. The program this day was yet another fresh new attempt in the challenge competition. Viewers responded positively, saying the episode was fun.
One viewer said, "It was nice to see the cast and staff mingling as one big family." Others hoped for a cast vs. staff rematch.
Internet broadcast and entertainment media for "Guide & Review," "TV Report"
Articles on http://tvreport.co.kr
Written by TV Report
http://english.kbs.co.kr/TVRadio/HotTopic/view.html?No=63 |
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June 5, 2009
Han Hyo-joo: 'Good People Deserve to be Happy'
The weekend drama 揃rilliant Legacy, |
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June 6, 2009
Wondergirls to Make US Debut
Wondergirls
South Korea's top female pop group Wondergirls will make their debut in the United States this summer, releasing an album in English and joining U.S. idol group Jonas Brothers on a concert tour, according to JYP Entertainment, one of South Korea抯 leading agencies Friday.
The all-girl band recently signed a management contract with the Jonas Group and Hollywood's Creative Artists Agency (CAA) will be working as the band抯 agent, JYP said.
Wondergirls will debut with an English version of "Nobody," its big hit in South Korea last summer. The five-member group抯 first U.S. album will also feature English versions of other hit songs including "Tell me" and an electronic house song written and composed by the Jonas Brothers.
Wondergirls will tour with the U.S. band as the opening act in concerts throughout Portland, Los Angeles and Atlanta beginning June 27 through August.
A JYP official said the retro mood of "Nobody" appealed to the American musicians to a large extent.
Source: koreatimes.co.kr |
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June 7, 2009
Veteran Actress Do Passes Away
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Veteran movie star Do Kum-bong
Veteran movie star Do Kum-bong passed away last Wednesday. She was 79.
Her death was later known as the actress insisted not to inform the world of her death in her will.
Born in 1930 at Incheon, Do started her acting career through a theater club called "Changgong" and made her movie debut when she was chosen by director Jo Keung-ha in 1957 for the main role of the film "Hwang Jin-i."
Do nailed the femme fatale character flawlessly, becoming the talk of the town and earning the nickname, "the temptress of the century."
She later appeared in Korea's first horror movie "A Bloodthirsty Killer" (1965) by director Lee Yong-min's as the villain, and proved once again her wide-ranging acting skills. Thanks to the "Killer"'s success, Do continued to star in following horror films, including "A Neckless Beauty," "A Public Cemetery of Wol-ha" (1967) and "The Magical Sword of Skeletal Spirit" (1969).
Despite her reputation of acting sexy and evil characters, Do still managed to pull off more serious roles, like in the movie "Yu Gwan-sun" (1959), which touched the story of the young independence fighter during the Japanese colonial rule.
Do's popularity especially bloomed during the 1960s and the '70s, winning the Best Actress award at the Daejong Film Festival for her role in the film "New Wife'"in 1963 and also the Best Supporting Actress for "When a Little Dream Blooms" in 1972 and "The Earth" in 1974.
She continued to work on more than 500 films until she finished her acting career in 1997 with Park Chan-wook's movie "Threesome."
As if having a successful career as a movie actress was not enough, the glamorous Do also made headlines for gossip concerning her love life, but she was always confident and was more than eager to express her opinions about the sensational news and public's eye.
After retiring from her acting career, she was known to have run a restaurant in Samcheong-dong with her two sons, but disappeared from the public eye after she stopped her business 10 years ago.
The actress was later sent to a welfare facility, and according to her son, she was hospitalized 10 days before she passed away. "She wanted her death not to be publicized, and so we tried to follow her wishes as much as possible," he said.
Do was cremated and her remains were moved to a charnel house in Heukseok-dong, Seoul.
"She was a brave woman, who was given many villain roles, but still managed to act many righteous and strong characters as well. In other words, she was a great actress who had a wide range. I remember her as a memorable supporting role, as sometimes her charisma was far more greater than the leading characters," said professor Jung Jae-hyung at the department of Film and Digital Media, Dongguk University.
Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr |
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June 7, 2009
Ryu Si-won Wins Hearts of Japanese Through Localization
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Actor and singer Ryu Si-won speaks
after receiving an award during Seoul
Tourism Award Ceremony at the Shilla Hotel
in Seoul, Thursday. / Yonhap
Actor and singer Ryu Si-won received the Seoul Tourism Award Thursday in recognition for his work in attracting about 12,000 Japanese tourists to Korea a year.
Thousands of people visit Korea on Oct. 6 for his birthday party and thousands of others see him race at auto racing tracks. He also drew 80,000 spectators to his concerts in various regions of Japan and has reached a level of stardom there that is on par with local artists.
In an interview with The Korea Times at the award ceremony, Ryu said in order to show Korea to the world, Koreans should deliver the culture in the respective country's way. He said it is showing the respect for their culture and customs.
"Some people praise those people who stick to speaking Korean and living in Korean style abroad ― saying they are patriotic. However, what is the purpose of using Korean when nobody understands a word? Just repeating that Korean culture is the best could be a disrespect toward the country where you are staying,'' he said.
His strategy fits with Ryu's way of approaching the Japanese market. Many hallyu stars "drop by" Japan, hold several fan meetings and sign lucrative endorsement deals for products following the conventional "Korean top start route." But he started from scratch ― signed with a local agency; showed up on as many little TV programs as possible and released 16 Japanese singles and albums in just four years. He followed a Japanese style of marketing and positioning, though his popularity was high enough to stick to the Korean style.
"Let's say we have a Japanese entertainer here. Wouldn't you expect the person to follow Korean style, speak Korean and actively interact with Koreans more often?" he said. He said in using this strategy, he attracted more Japanese fans, some of whom eventually visited Korea to get to know him better.
Koreans also acknowledged his passion. He has been appointed as the Promotional Ambassador of Korean Tourism and Culture for three consecutive years since 2006 and received the Presidential Citation last year for contributing to promoting tourism.
As the goodwill ambassador, Ryu recommended tourists to Korea look into "Ordinary lives" of Koreans. "I have stayed in Japan for more than four years. Some say Korea and Japan look very much alike, but I find the two very different as time goes by. Visiting local markets, walking around residential areas, looking at what ordinary Koreans do, what they eat and how they share love will give more of an idea to observe the differences and embrace them,'' he said.
Ryu also told The Korea Times about a future project ― the SBS TV Drama series "Style". The show starts shooting this week for airing every Saturday and Sunday beginning in September.
Ryu will play the role of doctor-turned-chef Seon-woo, a character that shows both the dark and soft side of a man. "It is very trendy and contemporary material. It's my first drama in five years and I wanted to show my fans in Korea and overseas what I can do best; what Korean youngsters are dreaming and worrying about at this very moment,? he said.
Credits: bjs@koreatimes.co.kr |
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June 7, 2009
[Incheon Fair] Girls' Generation to Promote Incheon Feast
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
K-pop group Girls |
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Sunday, June 7, 2009
Director Tran talks of moving from violence to Murakami's famed 'Norwegian Wood'
By GIOVANNI FAZIO
Special to The Japan Times
Born in Vietnam and raised in France from age 12, Tran Anh Hung made an indelible debut as a filmmaker in 1993 with "The Scent Of Green Papaya." A delicate, sensual film, where the patter of rain on garden leaves or the rustle of wind on mosquito netting was as prominent as its story of a servant girl in 1950s Saigon, "Green Papaya" put Tran on the art-cinema map in a big way, including a Camera d'Or award at Cannes.
His followup, "Cyclo" (1995), took the Gran Prix at Venice, and confirmed Tran's talent. While as richly textured as his first film, "Cyclo" saw Tran moving into darker terrain, following a rickshaw driver in Hi Chi Minh City who falls in with a gang, and his drug-addicted sister, prostituted by the brooding gangster (Tony Leung) who loves her. Tran's third film, "Vertical Ray of the Sun" (2000), was a languorous look at three sisters in present-day Hanoi, with a poetic style that harkened back to "Green Papaya."
Tran reverts to the dark side with his latest, "I Come With The Rain." It's the first film he's made that's not set in Vietnam |
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June 8, 2009
Gee, thanks, Incheon
Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo, center, and Chin Dae-je, chairman of the Global Fair and Festival 2009 Incheon抯 organizing committee, pose with members of the popular vocal group Girls |
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News Index page 16
June 8, 2009: 'Rain' in Roponggi / ICWTR-Lee Byung Hun
June 8: Korea抯 Top Singer and Comedian in Love / Jang Yun-jeong & Roh Hong-cheol
June 8: Koreans flock to cinemas in May
June 8: Jang and No Are a Couple
June 8: Song Seung-heon to Quit His Agency
June 8: 2-year love quest finally pays off
June 8: Yeon Mi-joo Attracting Attention as 'Chubby' Girl in 'The Accidental Couple'
June 9: Seo Taiji to release new album
June 9: Singer Chae-yeon Brings 'Sexy Back'
June 5: Mother Triumphs over Competition
June 9: Settlement Sought in Rain抯 Hawaii Lawsuit
June 9: Singer Rain to Promote Seoul's Global Image
June 9: MBC's new series a 'Triple' threat
June 9: One-Year Jail Term Sought for Actor Joo
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June 8, 2009
'Rain' in Roppongi
About 660 invited guests and 3,000 fans were at Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi on May 27 for the world premiere of "I Come With the Rain," a French movie featuring stars from Japan, South Korea and the United States.
Kimura Takuya, a member of the Japanese singing group SMAP, is in the role of a man who has the supernatural ability of feeling the pain of others. He stars alongside Korean actor Lee Byung‐hun, American Josh Hartnett and Tran Nu Yen Khe from Vietnam.
All four actors appeared in front of screaming fans in Tokyo's Roppongi district. During the lavish media show, they walked along on a cross‐shaped red carpet and waved at people in the crowd.
"I'm really happy that an event like this could be staged in Japan," Kimura said.
He added that during shooting in the Philippines, he and the crew experienced a frightening incident when a soldier tasked with providing security on the set aimed his gun toward them.
In the movie, directed by Tran Anh Hung, Kimura's character goes missing and his father hires a private investigator and former detective, played by Hartnett, to find him. The PI enlists the help of a buddy from his detective days to locate the missing man.
The movie is the second time for Kimura to co‐star with Lee, following "HERO" in 2007. "It was like spending time with an old friend," said Lee, who plays a Mafia boss in his latest movie.
Tran, a French director of Vietnamese ancestry, gained acclaim for "The Scent of Green Papaya" in 1993, which won the Camera d'or at Cannes. He followed up with "Cyclo" two years later, which received the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.
Tran's next project is "Norwegian Wood," based on a popular novel by Murakami Haruki. (Story by Hosoda Naoko)
Source: mainichi.jp |
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June 8, 2009
Korea抯 Top Singer and Comedian in Love
Korea抯 two top celebrities have revealed that they抮e in love. Singer Jang Yun-jeong and comedian Roh Hong-cheol have admitted that they have been seeing each other for about a month.
Jang抯 agent says that the singer didn抰 have a boyfriend for six long years and what moved her heart was Roh抯 unchanging feelings toward her. The blond-haired and wacky comedian had already announced two years ago that Jang was his dream girl and has been trying to win her heart with special events and thoughtfulness.
Jang said that she decided to acknowledge her feelings for Roh, even though they have been dating for only a month, for the benefit of viewers. She抯 currently appearing on a dating program that sets up celebrities with prospective suitors. She said that it wasn抰 fair to the viewers and suitors to keep pretending that she抯 available when she抯 actually already seeing someone. Jang is known to be Korea抯 most eligible bachelorette and Roh the craziest and wildest comic.
Source: KBS Global |
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June 8, 2009
Koreans flock to cinemas in May
The number of moviegoers jumped to 16.3 million nationwide in May, up 27.3 percent from a year earlier, showing signs of a turnaround in the slumping film industry.
"The moviegoers in the Seoul metropolitan area also rose 23.8 percent on year to 5.14 million," said CJ CGV, a major multiplex operator, in a press release yesterday. "The combined figure for the January-May period of this year marks 6.9 percent increase from the same period in 2008."
The upturn in ticket sales is a welcome sign for the domestic film industry which has been struggling to pull out of a protracted downturn, hurt partly by the lackluster performances of Korean films.
The market share of Korean movies stood at 49.1 percent in May, the highest since the company began to compile ticket sales data in 2006, CJ CGV said. The market share remained largely strong this year, hovering between 37 percent and 50.4 percent, except for March.
The newly released market share of 49.1 percent for Korean films in May is a pronounced upturn from 7.8 percent a year earlier. In terms of ticket sales, Korean movies sold 8 million in May, up from 1 million a year ago.
"Terminator: Salvation," released on May 21, topped the box office last month, selling 2.9 million tickets on the strength of many Korean fans who have positive memories of the blockbuster franchise.
Ranked second was "Secret Couple," which attracted 2.8 million viewers. The Korean comedy, released on May 23, sold a total of 3.8 million tickets, exceeding market expectations.
Park Chan-wook's award-winning "Thirst" secured the No. 3 slot last month, selling 2 million tickets. Although critics were mixed about the commercial appeal of the priest-turned-vampire drama, Park's latest experiment got a boost from the Cannes film festival, where he won the jury award.
"Mother," directed by celebrated Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, sold 1.2 million tickets in May, a respectable performance given that it was released on May 28. The film received praise both at home and abroad for its depiction of a Korean mother's efforts to save her son, who is charged with murder.
Seven films surpassed the 1 million mark in ticket sales in May, up from three a year earlier.
Competition is expected to heat up further in June as Korean movies are set to clash with big-budget Hollywood blockbusters aiming to carve out a bigger share in the forthcoming summer holiday season.
By Yang Sung-jin ([email protected]) via koreaherald.co.kr |
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June 8, 2009
Jang and No Are a Couple
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Popular singer Jang Yoon-jung and entertainer No Hong-chul have officially announced they are a couple.
Inwoo Productions, the trot star's agency, sent out a press release last night to confirm the relationship between the pair.
Jang has not had a boyfriend in the last six years. "It was all due to No's sincere affection toward Jang for the past two years," the agency said.
The 30-year-old had said publicly that his ideal girlfriend was Jang, 29, and the agency said that for the past two years he had been wooing her. "Jang was touched by the unlimited affection No showed her for the past two years. She finally accepted his proposal a month ago and have decided to open up to the public, mainly because of the program the two are working on these days," the agency added.
The couple currently appears together on the popular matchmaking program "The Gold Misses Are Coming." "I thought it would be unfair to still go out on blind dates during the program when I already have a boyfriend. No is a serious and heartwarming person. I am very happy to have met such a nice man," Jang was quoted as saying by her agency.
But she said news of their marriage was premature. The couple will talk about their feelings for each other on the program Monday.
Jang made her debut in 1999 and has gained popularity among the young and old through her fun and easy songs, including "Eomeona!." "Flower" and "Idda Iddayo" that follow the Korean traditional pop genre trot.
No started his career as a VJ for a cable music channel in 2004 and worked progressed to become one of the country's most famous entertainers. Appearing as a member of the hit reality entertainment program ``The Unlimited Challenge'' helped him attract many fans, and the success led to other shows and commercials.
Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr |
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Author
