Korean Entertainment News 2011

katt

June 23, 2009

Mise-en-Scene Short Film Festival Starts Wednesday

The Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival, which has discovered and launched career of several new film directors and actors, marks its eighth season from Wednesday until next Tuesday at CGV Yongsan in Seoul.

It features 57 films in five genres in the official selection, and a total of 120 films including the non-competition selection. Festival alumni include Na Hong-jin of "The Chaser," Yang Ik-june of "Breathless," and Lee Kyoung-mi of "Crush and Blush." Many film directors show affection to the festival, with director Bong Joon-ho acting as the committee chair, and director Kim Dae-seung as the head of jury.

The homepage of the festival can be found at www.msff.or.kr

Credits: englishnews@chosun.com

katt

June 23:
S. Korea's 'Yonsama' to meet 100,000 fans in Japan
  
Bae to meet with 100,000 Japanese fans  

Bae Yong-joon, known as "Yonsama" by his Japanese fans, will meet with an estimated 100,000 this September according to the 37-year-old Hallyu star's management company, Boundaries of Forest (BOF).

Bae is scheduled to hold a pair of events at the 40,000-plus capacity Tokyo Dome on Sept. 29 to promote the animated version of "Autumn Sonata" -- the 2002 KBS drama that catapulted him into continental super-stardom along with a book signing the following day for "The Beauty of Korea," which he penned over the course of a year.

BOF said yesterday "The Tokyo Dome can hold over 40,000 so over a two-day span we're looking at a maximum fan turn-out of around 90,000. If we take the estimated 10,000 that will hopefully attend live satellite broadcasts around movie multiplexes throughout Japan, we're estimating a ballpark figure of 100,000 total."

The upcoming events will be the actor's first "fan-meeting" in Japan since last June, when he was there to promote his MBC fantasy serial "The Legend."

Credits: [email protected] via koreaherald.co.kr

katt

June 24, 2009

Short film festival kicks off in Seoul

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- The Mise-en-scene Short Film Festival (MSFF), which has played a large role in discovering emerging South Korean auteurs and actors over the past seven years, was to kick off Wednesday featuring 120 films under the title "Beyond the Barrier of Genres."

   The annual fete, which celebrates its eight birthday this year, will run through June 30 at the CGV Yongsan Theater, central Seoul.  

Considered one of the most prestigious short film festivals in Korea, the MSFF (www.msff.or.kr) has award-winning directors including Park Chan-wook, Kim Ji-woon, Huh Jin-ho and Ryu Seung-wan as its committee members. Recent festival alumni include Na Hong-jin of "The Chaser," Yang Ik-joon of "Breathless" and Lee Kyoung-mi of "Crush and Blush."

   This year's festival will screen 57 films in five genres in the official competition section with Bong Joon-ho, the creator of "The Host" and Cannes-invited "Mother," acting as the committee chair.

   The event will open with two films: "Moving Self Portrait," featuring autobiographical snapshots of participating directors and "Full Employment," a documentary about the ongoing economic downturn. Films up for this year's competition include "The Horn," a story about a North Korean refugee who goes missing, "Hours," featuring a friendship between a hostess and a taxi driver, and "Empty Lies," about a mistakenly delivered letter.

   The MSFF is one of the eight film fests held in Seoul this year, along with the Seoul International Youth Film Festival opening in July and the Seoul Independent Film Festival in December.

   Credits: [email protected] via
yonhapnews.co.kr

katt

June 23, 2009

Korean agents reined in with contracts
Suicide sparked investigation, new regulations

By Park Soo-mee

SEOUL – A standard contract for Korean entertainers will be introduced as early as this month and applied to local management agencies, giving more rights to performers who are often seen as victims of forced promotion activities and extensive intervention by their agents.

Korea Fair Trade Commission, a government body that formulates and administers consumer-related policies, announced this week that the group is currently negotiating with agents and entertainers to revise the current terms and conditions of contracts, which currently limits many performers’ freedom.

An agreement for Korean entertainers was long regarded as “a slave contract” in the industry, with conditions including mandatory appearances in free advertisements or functions hosted by the agent. Currently, many agents require their clients to report to the company before departing the country; the performers can neither retire nor stop their activities without the agents’ approval.

Such clauses became an issue earlier this year when a TV actress committed suicide after she was allegedly forced to offer sexual favors by her agent. The commission held a major investigation into the activities of local agents since April before announcing the plan.

The standard form will require the management agencies to follow the new terms. However, until next month, the agents will be advised to revise their terms voluntarily.

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/conten...ce1b46ee1b564fc

katt

June 24, 2009

Bae Yong-joon in Mystery Visit to Presidential Office


Actor Bae Yong-joon

Actor Bae Yong-joon visited Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday, reportedly meeting spokesman Lee Dong-kwan and deputy spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye, and many at the presidential office itself were curious why.

One official at the presidential office said the visit might have something to do with President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Japan this coming Sunday. Bae is an extremely popular figure in Japan, especially among women, and runs a traditional Korean restaurant in Tokyo. That leads to speculation that Bae might be given some role in one of Lee's projects, to make Korean food more popular abroad.

"It's true that Cheong Wa Dae is planning something to do with Bae during the president's visit to Japan, but for protocol reasons nothing has been finalized," another official at Cheong Wa Dae said.

Credits: Chosun Ilbo

katt

June 24, 2009

Korean Wave star Bae Yong-joon to hold fan meetings in Tokyo



Bae Yong-joon emerged as one of Japan's most sought-after celebrities since his TV drama "Winter Sonata" hit the Japanese airwaves in April 2004.

Bae became one of the first big stars of the Hallyu ("Korean Wave," explosive popularity of Korean pop culture especially in Asia).

"Yonsama," his Japanese nickname, was even chosen as the most popular word in Japan in 2004. After all these years, the craze for him is still palpable in Japan and come this September he is to meet some approximately 50,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome, the largest stadium in the city.

On Sept. 29, he will promote an animated version of his megahit TV drama "Winter Sonata" and will hold another fan meeting on Sept. 30 to promote his essay on the beauty of Korea. The two events will be broadcast live at multiplex cinemas across Japan and about 5,000 fans are expected to watch them live on screen.

"Winter Sonata" heroine Choi Ji-woo, widely known as Jiwoo-hime in Japan, will join Bae for the promotion of the animation.

Bae's last fan meeting in Japan was in June last year, when he promoted his TV series appearance in "The Story of the First King's Four Gods."

Credits: Han Aran, Staff Writer via Korea.net

katt

June 23, 2009

Actor Ju Gets Suspended Jail Term for Drug Use

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter


Actor Ju Ji-hun

Actor Ju Ji-hun was given a suspended jail term and community service after he was convicted of illegal drug use.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced the 27-year-old Tuesday to a six-month prison term suspended for one year, 120 hours of community service and 360,000 won in fines.

Ju was indicted without physical detention last month for taking ecstasy tablets and ketamine at model-turned-actor Ye Hak-young's home in Seoul in April last year. "The drug use of a celebrity like Ju can exert an evil influence on society, because people, especially juveniles, can follow his behavior, and ecstasy and ketamine are relatively cheap and easy to obtain compared with other narcotics," the court said.

"However, we decided to give the suspended term because he took the drugs only on a couple of occasions, has no previous criminal record and is reflecting on his wrongdoing. We also took many petitions asking for a lenient punishment for him into consideration," it said.

The court handed down a three-year jail sentence to actress Yun Seol-hee for smuggling 280 ecstasy tablets and 280 grams of ketamine from Japan and using the drugs with Ju and others. Ye and another female model, identified as Jeon, were also indicted for taking the drugs and each given 30-month jail terms suspended for four years, two years of probation and 200 hours of community service.

After making his debut as a model, Ju starred in the dramas "Princess Hours" and "The Hanged Man," and movies "Antique'' and "The Naked Kitchen."

Credits: rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

June 24, 2009

S. Korean indie film 'Old Partner' receives award in U.S.

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- The low-budget South Korean documentary "Old Partner (Weonangsori)" has received an award at the Silverdocs Documentary Festival in Washington D.C., becoming the first Korean indie film to be honored at the annual event, the film's local distributor said Wednesday.

   The film, which focuses on a decades-long relationship between an ox and an old farmer, received the Cinematic Vision Award, given to a feature-length documentary with the best visual presentation of the story. The film's creator, Lee Chung-ryul, will receive US$2,500 in cash and $4,000 of in-kind services from motion picture laboratory Alpha Cine, Indie Story in Seoul said.

   Co-sponsored by the American Film Institute and the Discovery Channel, this year's Silverdocs featured 122 documentaries.  



Winner of the 2008 Pusan International Film Festival, "Old Partner" attracted nearly 3 million viewers at home last year, an unprecedented feat in a country where local blockbusters and Hollywood movies have dominated for decades.

   Receiving the Audience Award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival and invited to overseas film festivals such as Sundance, Philadelphia and Sarasota, "Old Partner" also won in May the Emerging Arts Award at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, the biggest of its kind in North America.

   Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews.co.kr

katt

June 24, 2009

Production Press Conference Held for “The Partner”

A press conference was held on June 19 to announce the production of KBS2 drama “The Partner,” which deals with struggle, work and life of lawyers at a law firm.

Kim Hyun-joo plays the female protagonist, Kang Eun-ho, a married lawyer who puts justice first, and Lee Dong-wook the male protagonist, Lee Tae-jo, a playboy lawyer who partners with Kim.


▲ Casting members pose at a production press conference

Direct Hwang Eui-kyung said that the drama is in essence about people’s life looked at against the background of law. “This is a story I have long wanted to deal with,” he said. “All casting members are devoted to their roles and I feel they are really trying to give all they have for the work. We are under pressure since we are tight on production schedule, but I am sure we will make a good drama.”

Kim Hyun-joo, who returns to TV after a two year hiatus, said, “I’ve been very much looking forward this day. I had to wait quite long as the programming schedule was postponed. And I am really happy and excited finally to be here today.” “I chose to take the role because I felt that it can be an unusual law drama going against the established norms of the genre,” she added.


▲ From left, Choi Chul-ho, Kim Hyun-joo, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Honey, Kim Dong-wook and Shin Yi

Lee Dong-wook said that he is looking forward to playing the character because it is different from the serious role he played in his previous work “Bitter Sweet Life.” “I think he’s rather funny. And he, a playboy, is very different from what I am in reality. So it’s even painful to play the role,” he added jokingly.

Choi Chul-ho, who has recently gained great popularity through his comic role in “My Wife Is a Superwoman,” plays a cold-blooded lawyer who does anything to win. He said, “It will be an opportunity for me to show another side of me.”

Lee Honey, a former Miss Korea winner, makes acting debut as a femme fatale lawyer. “It’s human drama depicting the cold law world. I will give it my best since it’s my debut work,” she said.

Kim Dong-wook, who rose to stardom with his role in “Coffee Prince,” and Shin Yi, famous for her signature performance of comic characters, also appear as a funny couple. Other casting members include Lee Won-jong and Park Chul-min.

“The Partner” airs on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 p.m., beginning from June 24.

Writer: KBSi Jin Yeong-joo l Copyright ⓒ KBS & KBSi - KBS Global

katt

June 23, 2009

Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo to Be in Japan


Photo: kr.news.yahoo.com

Two stars of “Winter Sonata,” Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo, will be in Japan together this fall. The first-generation hallyu stars will be in the Tokyo Dome to promote “Winter Sonata – Another Story,” a 26-part animation show dubbed with their voices. This is the first time that Bae and Choi will participate in the same event since their drama was broadcast in 2002.

On the following day Bae will also hold a promotional event for his book tentatively titled “The Beauty of Korea.” His representative said that as many as 90 thousand Japanese fans are expected to come to the Tokyo Dome to see Bae over the two-day event. Also the events will be telecast live via satellite feed to local theaters, so those who will not be able to attend the Tokyo Dome events can still see Bae on screen.   

Source: KBS Global

katt

June 24, 2009

Big Bang members to play selves in musical



Dae-sung and Seung-ri, two members of the K-pop sensation Big Bang will star in the autobiographical musical "Shouting," to be staged in August. The musical will tell the story of two young boys who make their dreams of becoming singers come true despite challenges along the way.

It is the second musical for both members. Seung-ri previously played a leading role in "Sonagi," a stage adaptation of the popular novel of the same name, while Dae-sung made his musical debut through the Korean version of "Cats" last year.  "I feel a little burdened as far as my singing and acting goes since this will be a big-scale show, but I will do my best," said Seungri at a recent press conference in Seoul.

Dae-sung, meanwhile, said: "I am also a little bit nervous because it is my first acting role with actual lines - I only sang and danced through the role of Rum Tum Tuger in 'Cats.' I will try to improve my acting through the show." A jukebox musical, the show will feature Big Bang's hit tunes including "Bulgeunnoeul (Red Glowing Sky)" as well as some composed specifically for the show.

The concert-like format was adopted to make it more approachable for Big Bang's fans, who are mostly teenagers.  "Currently, most musical-goers are in their 20s and 30s. Producing musicals for teenagers, we can tap a niche market and nurture future musical audiences at the same time," said a spokesperson for Seol & Company, which co-produced the show with YG Entertainment.

Musical actors Hong Ji-min and Joo Won-sung will perform with Dae-sung and Seung-ri. Other Big Bang members will also make cameo appearances.

"Shouting" will be staged Aug. 12-23 at Chungmu Arts Hall in Heungin-dong, Seoul.

Tickets are 66,000 won to 88,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3444-0677.

By Koh Young-aah ([email protected]) via koreaherald.co.kr

katt

June 25, 2009

Jang Ja-yeon's Manager Arrested in Tokyo

Japanese police on Wednesday arrested the manager of actress Jang Ja-yeon, who committed suicide in March. The CEO of Jang’s management agency, identified as Kim, is suspected of pimping the actress to influential entertainment and business, and threatening her with violence if she refused.

Kim was arrested in a stakeout on his way to a meeting at a Tokyo hotel on Wednesday afternoon. He was charged with being in Japan illegally and failing to provide a passport.

The Japanese government promptly notified Korea of the arrest. A National Police Agency official said the Korean police provided key information about Kim's hiding place and his schedule to Japanese police through the police attache in Tokyo.

Kim's arrest is expected to speed up a stalled investigation of the scandal surrounding Jang's suicide. Kim can be repatriated either under a mutual extradition treaty, which requires a court hearing, or he can be deported immediately for illegally staying in Japan.

A Justice Ministry official said, "We asked the Japanese Justice Ministry to expel Kim, and it seems we can have him back here in two or three days to a week at most."

[size-2]Credits: englishnews@chosun.com

katt

June 24, 2009

Movie Review
Slow and colorless, 'Dying' deserves credit for experimental approach

By Shin Hae-in

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Its plot is bleak, its pace is meandering. Still, "Something to do Before Dying" makes a worthy attempt to break the mold, with its tragic heroine dominating the film's full 83 minutes -- eating, talking and mourning all by herself.

   Whether that's a sufficiently redeeming quality is another question.

   Su-yeon (Namgung Eun-suk) is an ordinary 20-something Seoulite who decides to end her humdrum life one day, and begins to search for the "easiest and least painful" way to die.

   She scours the Internet for advice, visits pharmacies to collect sleeping pills and sits at a neighborhood playground murmuring to herself. She calls up friends and family members with whom it appears she hasn't spoke in a long while, offering them her belongings and telling them she loves them.  



The film tracks each of these steps, slowly, without nuance, dragging the audience along for a one-person-show. Darkly, it offers little more than subtle indications about the value of choosing life over death -- a subject that feels especially timely following the suicides of former President Roh Moo-hyun and several high-profile Korean celebrities.

   Roaming around her neighborhood late one night, Su-yeon wonders what people will think of her after she is gone and worries what will happen at work without her, but manages to wash up and prepare a nice meal for herself. These are the kind of everyday actions that will simply be forgotten, she observes, once she is dead.



As she sighs that no one is waiting for her at home, the camera shifts to a shot of Su-yeon's puppy staring longingly at the door in her dark house. Feeding her pets and taking pictures of herself, she wonders whether it would be a waste to "die so young."

   Despite the film's overall disappointing outcome, director Park Sung-bum deserves credit for having the guts to cast a little-known actress as his only heroine, especially with transforming robots and terminators from Hollywood expected to dominate local screens in the coming weeks.

   Park's decision to create such a somber film may come as a surprise for moviegoers who saw his first feature "My Girls Boy (2007)," a bouncy comedy that featured romance, sex and jealousy. In an earlier interview with a local monthly film magazine, the 39-year-old said he had wanted to talk about "something (suicide) people may have thought about at least once" in their lives in the most "bold and honest manner." Park, who is currently staying overseas according to distributors, did not make it to the preview of his second feature Tuesday night.



"Something…" will open nationwide July 9 at both on-line and off-line theaters. Its distributor, Emotion Contents Network, has made agreements with some 60 domestic Web sites to offer the film on the Internet.

   Credits: [email protected] via yonhapnews.co.kr

katt

June 24, 2009

Japanese Police Arrest Late Actress Jang's Ex-Manager

By Park Si-soo
Staff Reporter


Jang Ja-yeon
Kim Sung-hoon, head of the late actress Jang Ja-yeon's former management agency, was arrested in Japan, police said Wednesday.

Kim had been placed on a wanted list on suspicions of forcing up-and-coming actresses, including Jang, to provide sexual favors to showbiz and media VIPs. Gyeonggi Province police said Japanese officers who had been tipped off about his presence apprehended the 42-year-old at a hotel that afternoon.

He had been hiding out in Japan, defying repeated requests to return to Seoul for questioning.

Kim left the country in March after Jang was found dead in what was ruled a suicide. He fled after Jang's suicide note, containing the names of public figures she was allegedly forced to have sexual relations with in exchange for raising her media exposure was made public.

Kim has been suspected of being the mastermind behind such deals. "It will take about two months for Kim to be returned to Korea,'' a police officer said. "Once he gets here, we will resume the stalemated investigation into figures allegedly involved in the scandal.''

Following her death, police launched a large-scale investigation, pledging to discover who had received such "favors" from the actress regardless of their social position. Police concluded their primary investigation in April, booking nine people out of 20 who were questioned, but failed to identify to whom the late actress was forced to provide sexual intercourse.

None of the corporate figures and media executives suspected of having sex with the late Jang have been booked. At that time, police said they were unable to find concrete evidence to the claims.

Jang hanged herself at her house in Bundang, south of Seoul, on March 7. A few days later, her manager disclosed a seven-page suicide note, she had supposedly written, which stated that the former agent had forced her to provide sex and entertainment to several VIPs, including CEOs of two print and online media organizations, program directors and a bank CEO. Other bigwigs allegedly include owners and presidents of chaebol.

Credits: pss@koreatimes.co.kr

katt

Thanks to melusine-soompi.com


Rising Stars honored at NYAFF


photo credit: Newsis

Kong Hyo-Jin, So Ji-Sub given inaugural awards

By Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter
June 24, 2009, 10:14 PM ET

NEW YORK -- Two of Korea's red-hot up-and-coming film stars, Kong Hyo-Jin and So Ji-Sub, received the inaugural Rising Star Asia Awards as part of the eighth New York Asian Film Festival Wednesday night.

The actress and the actor were in town for the honors at Manhattan's IFC Center.

Kong is featured at the festival this year with "Crush and Blush" and "Dachimawa Lee," while So was in town in support of his movie "Rough Cut" and received his award from Gerry Byrne, senior vp for the Entertainment Group at Nielsen Business Media, of which THR is part.

Long lines of avid fans patiently waited for screenings of the two films later Wednesday evening. Earlier in the day, Kong and So told THR through translators that they are each currently looking at their next potential projects.


photo credit: Newsis

So said "it could be in Korea, it could be Japan, China." He added: "And if the opportunity presents itself in the future, of course, America." So said he particularly enjoys Ed Norton's work.

Kong said she is currently considering several screenplays and expressed an interest in working with Michel Gondry somewhere down the line. She also said she would like to make movies in other countries, pointing out that Korean productions often get made on a shoestring budget. "Crush and Blush," for example, had a budget of less than $1 million.

Both stars expressed the hope that Asian actors would increasingly get opportunities in foreign and international productions to show their true acting talents and not only be pigeonholed into certain movie stereotypes, such as the kung-fu master or geisha. Kong, for example, said with a laugh that she has heard that "as an Asian actress, you have to do martial arts, even though in reality they don't really do that back in Korea." And So said if he got a role in a U.S. movie, he would prefer to play a dramatic or melodramatic role.

The Asian up-and-comers had a busy schedule in New York. "This is my third time here, but all I have seen really is the Empire State Building and Central Park," quipped So.

The Hollywood Reporter is a sponsor of the NYAFF.

katt

June 25, 2009

Police to resume probe into scandal over actress' suicide

  SEONGNAM, South Korea, June 25 (Yonhap) -- Police said Thursday they will resume their investigation into the recent suicide of a popular South Korean actress following the arrest in Japan of a key suspect in the case a day earlier.

   Jang Ja-yeon, the 30-year-old actress, took her own life at her house in Bundang, south of Seoul, in early March, claiming in a suicide note that a former agent had forced her to provide sexual favors to several high-profile entertainment figures and journalists.



The agent, identified only by his surname Kim, had fled to Japan before the police investigation started and was arrested by Japanese police in Tokyo on Wednesday. Kim will soon be extradited to South Korea to face charges of threatening and coercing Jang, police said. "When Kim is sent back to Korea, we will investigate all allegations related to the so-called 'Jang Ja-yeon list,'" Han Pung-hyeon, chief of Bundang Police Station, told a media briefing. "All 13 suspects (on the list) are subject to the probe that is set to resume."

   His comments are in reference to a list of names that appeared on Jang's suicide note, including several media and entertainment industry heavyweights accused of soliciting sexual favors from the actress. Police booked nine people including entertainment company officials and directors in April and wrapped up the probe without interrogating several individuals on the list, saying they had difficulty confirming the allegations without questioning Kim.

   Kim is expected to be sent back to Seoul within three months, after a Japanese court orders his deportation, Han said.

[size=2Credits: [email protected] via Yonhap News

katt

June 25, 2009

Korean Documentary Film 'Old Partner' Receives Award Overseas



A cow usually lives for about 15 years on average. Here's a moving tale about a cow that lived for nearly 40 years.

The Korean feature-length documentary film “Old Partner” (2008) received a Cinematic Vision Award at the 2009 SILVERDOCS Documentary Festival held in Washington, DC from June 15 to 22. “Old Partner” illustrates the tail-end of a life-long friendship between the 79-year-old farmer Choi and his almost 40-year-old cow in a remote South Korean village.

SILVEROCS is one of the most renowned documentary festivals in the world, and is co-sponsored by AFI and the Discovery Channel. The Cinematic Vision Award goes to a feature-length documentary with the best visual presentation to the story.

Director Lee Chung-ryoul is to receive US$2,500 in cash and $4,000 of in-kind services from motion-picture laboratory Alpha Cine.

Earlier this year, the film also received an Emerging Arts Award at the 16th Hot Docs-Canadian International Documentary Festival (April 30 to May 10), the biggest of its kind in North America. The jury commented that, “This film has the charm of the classic fairy tale, conveying the universal rhythms of life, death and rebirth with simplicity and dignity. In the story of a farmer, his wife, and the ox they depend on, the filmmaker has found a universal tale told in the most intimate fashion.”

The film attracted nearly 3 million viewers at home last year, an unprecedented figure for a documentary and won the Best Documentary Award at the 13th Busan International Film Festival, the Audience Award at the 34th Seoul Independent Film Festival and was invited to overseas film festivals such as Sundance, Philadelphia and Sarasota.

Source: Dynamic Korea

katt

June 24, 2009

Drunken Tiger Comes Back with 8th Album



Drunken Tiger, one of Korea’s most respected hip hop artists, is coming back after a two-year hiatus with his eighth album, “Feel gHood Musik: The 8th Wonder.” This is the first release since September 2007 when his seventh album was applauded for appealing to the masses, while leading a new trend in hip hop.

To be released on June 29th, the latest album is composed of two CDs with 27 tracks. Each CD has different characteristics – the “Feel Good Side” contains songs that are public-friendly, hip hop songs that are easy to listen to, while the “Feel Hood Side” features hard-core rap catering to pure hip hop manias.

Drunken Tiger is also going to appear on “Watching the Stars” on cable channel tvN to show his everyday life and album production processes, which have never been shown on TV before.

Source: KBS Global
----------------------

katt

June 25, 2009

Police to resume probe into scandal over actress' suicide


  SEONGNAM, South Korea, June 25 (Yonhap) -- Police said Thursday they will resume their investigation into the recent suicide of a popular South Korean actress following the arrest in Japan of a key suspect in the case a day earlier.

   Jang Ja-yeon, the 30-year-old actress, took her own life at her house in Bundang, south of Seoul, in early March, claiming in a suicide note that a former agent had forced her to provide sexual favors to several high-profile entertainment figures and journalists.



The agent, identified only by his surname Kim, had fled to Japan before the police investigation started and was arrested by Japanese police in Tokyo on Wednesday. Kim will soon be extradited to South Korea to face charges of threatening and coercing Jang, police said.

   "When Kim is sent back to Korea, we will investigate all allegations related to the so-called 'Jang Ja-yeon list,'" Han Pung-hyeon, chief of Bundang Police Station, told a media briefing. "All 13 suspects (on the list) are subject to the probe that is set to resume."

   His comments are in reference to a list of names that appeared on Jang's suicide note, including several media and entertainment industry heavyweights accused of soliciting sexual favors from the actress.

   Police booked nine people including entertainment company officials and directors in April and wrapped up the probe without interrogating several individuals on the list, saying they had difficulty confirming the allegations without questioning Kim.

   Kim is expected to be sent back to Seoul within three months, after a Japanese court orders his deportation, Han said.

  
Credits: [email protected]
Yonhap News

katt

June 25, 2009

Lee So-eun Goes to U.S. Law School



Singer Lee So-eun will get to pursue her dream of becoming an international human rights lawyer. The smart and talented singer was accepted at four law schools in the United States – Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, and Notre Dame. After much pondering, she has decided to go to Northwestern situated near Chicago to study international human rights and copyrights laws.

Since graduating from Korea University in February, 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, Lee has been preparing for her applications to law schools by taking LSAT, writing personal essays, and asking for recommendations.

The 27-year-old singer made her debut in 1998 when she was just a teenager. After releasing her fourth album in 2005 she decided to concentrate on her studies. She has been known for her academic excellence, getting a perfect score in TOEFL, an English proficiency test, when she was just an 11th grader and receiving scholarships in college. After she settles down to life in the U.S., she plans to release a mini album that is representative of her musical philosophy. She is scheduled to leave in early July after appearing as a guest in Sweet Sorrow’s concert this week.

Source: http://english.kbs.co.kr/Entertain/KpopNews/view.html?No=9949