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August 6, 2009
‘King & Clown’ actor appointed goodwill ambassador
Actor Lee Joon-ki
Actor Lee Joon-ki was appointed goodwill ambassador by the Korea Tourism Organization yesterday in a ceremony at the KTO, Jung District, central Seoul.
“I’m proud to have this opportunity to promote Korea,” Lee said. “I hope this will be a chance for me to show you a more productive side,” he added.
“We hope that Lee will help vitalize the Korean tourism market,” a KTO official said. “There has been a downturn in tourism since the outbreak of the A(H1N1) flu virus.”
An actor widely known in Asia for hit films such as 2005’s “The King and the Clown,” Lee gave two fan appreciation concerts in China last May for an audience of roughly 10,000 people. He was a representative for the Seoul Hallyu Festival last year.
Source: INSIDE JoongAng Daily |
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August 6, 2009
Legal feud threatens boy band TVXQ
TVXQ members Xiah Jun-soo, Micky Yoo-chun, Hero Jae-joong, Max Chang-min
and U-Know Yoon-ho, from left to right.[JoongAng Ilbo]
Early last month, the five-member Korean pop band Dong Bang Shin Gi, a.k.a. TVXQ, enjoyed one of the best moments of its career at the Tokyo Dome, which was filled with tens of thousands of fans shouting their praise.
In less than a month, however, it has faced the most critical moment of its career - a possible breakup - with a looming court battle against its management agency.
TVXQ made headlines early this week as three of its five members - Xiah Jun-soo, Hero Jae-joong and Micky Yoo-chun - took legal action against the group’s management agency, S.M. Entertainment, citing the unfairness of their contract as the reason for their action.
On July 31, the three applied for a provisional disposition, a move that would temporarily terminate the exclusive contract between the group and its management company for the duration of the dispute, arguing that the contract is akin to a lifelong agreement. They also say they have not received adequate compensation for their work.
Im Sang-hyuk, the attorney representing the three TVXQ members, said in a press release on Monday that according to the exclusive contract between TVXQ and S.M. Entertainment, band members cannot leave the company for 13 years, which actually translates to 15 years when their two-year mandatory military service is taken into consideration.
“This means that band members are attached to the company virtually until they retire from the stage, considering that entertainers have relatively short careers,” he added.
Another issue concerns the distribution of profits from the band’s record sales. According to the band’s contract, each band member is entitled to a payment of 10 million won ($8,120), but only when more than 500,000 copies of an album are sold. If fewer albums are sold, the band members get nothing. Im also said that when the contract was revised in February, it was written to ensure that each member would get only 0.4 to 1 percent of total album sales.
The three band members say they have demanded that the company resolve the contract dispute, but that they decided to take legal action after both sides failed to reach an agreement on the matter.
“TVXQ has received 11 billion won in cash [the total for all five members] since its debut in 2004 through July 2009 and was also provided with a luxury car,” S.M. Entertainment said in a written statement released later that day. “The contract has been revised and renewed five times by mutual consent, twice under the review of the Fair Trade Commission.”
As to why the other two band members have not joined in the action, a written statement from the three band members cited a “difference of opinion” between the two sides.
S.M. Entertainment alleges that the legal action is related to the cosmetics business in which the three band members are involved.
Meanwhile, the court battle has dealt a blow to the boy band’s fans at home and abroad. Upon hearing about the legal action, the band’s official fan club Cassiopeia, which has more than 800,000 members, immediately began collecting signatures fans for a petition against the possible breakup of the band. Over 23,800 signatures had been collected at Daum’s Agora Internet Forum as of 5 p.m. yesterday.
TVXQ debuted in 2004 with the album “Hug” and in the past five years has risen to stardom in Korea, Japan and other parts of Asia. It has sold over 2.7 million albums in Korea and over 5 million albums in Japan.
No matter how things play out in court, TVXQ and S.M. Entertainment seem to agree on one thing at least - that the dispute should not cause the band to break up.
All five band members appeared at Japan’s A-Nation Concert last Saturday and the Japanese media reported yesterday that the group will perform today at a fireworks festival in Tokyo as previously arranged.
But things won’t be easy for the entertainment company until the dispute is settled because other pop groups it represents, such as Girls’ Generation and Super Junior, are working under similar contracts as TVXQ.
And even if the dispute is settled, the question remains as to whether the band and the company can recover their trust of one another. The only sure thing here seems to be that things will just never be the same.
By Park Sun-young [[email protected]]
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2908376 |
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August 6, 2009
Lee Jun-ki Picked to Promote Korean Tourism
Lee Jun-ki
Actor and singer Lee Jun-ki was named the promotional ambassador of the Korea Tourism Organization on Wednesday.
Lee's popularity across Asia has been proven by a number of concerts given in Korea and overseas. A concert held in Seoul last April in collaboration with the Shanghai branch of the KTO attracted 2,500 fans from Asia, including 180 from China. Two concerts in China in May, including one held in Suzhou, lured over 10,000 fans, and shows in Yokohama and Kobe last month drew over 9,000 Japanese fans.
"I've thought of my role as kind of a cultural ambassador, so I really enjoyed it when I was a promotional ambassador for the Korean Wave in 2008," Lee said. "I'm very proud to have this opportunity to represent Korea in 2009, and I would like to take this chance to show a better and positive image of myself and my country."
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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August 6, 2009
‘High Kick’ gets a second season
MBC’s family sitcom “High Kick” is back for a second season starting next month. The program will be shown under the same title as the hit show that was popular from 2006 to 2007, but the second season will be entirely different from the first, the producers say.
High Kick 2 will revolve around the lives of a food company CEO (Lee Soon-jae) and his family. Daniel Choi, Oh Hyun-kyung and Jung Bo-suk will play Lee’s family members. Kim Ja-ok will appear as a high school dean who falls for the grumpy 72-year-old Lee. Actress Nah Mun-hee, who had played Lee’s wife in season one, will not be returning to the show for the second season, the producers said.
[size=]By Lee Hae-joo Contributing Writer via INSIDE JoongAng Daily |
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August 6, 2009
Lee Min-ki revels in the art of acting
Actor Lee Min-ki
Actor Lee Min-ki, 24, who starred in the two recent Korean summer blockbusters “Haeundae” and “A Million,” seems to be enjoying his newfound popularity.
Lee, who started out as a model and later ventured into acting, has been doing both for the past five years.
He has appeared in TV dramas such as “Dalja’s Spring” and “I Really Really Like You” and movies, including “Romantic Island” and “Oishii Man.”
But it is through his two latest films that he has finally begun to gain a foothold as an actor.
In the Korean disaster film Haeundae, Lee plays Hyung-sik, a Coast Guard who rescues a female college student and eventually falls in love with her. As Hyung-sik, Lee projects an air of innocence and self-sacrifice. In the film A Million, however, Lee takes on the role of Cheol-hee, showing his gritty side as a hot-tempered Marine-turned-janitor who finds himself involved in a survival reality show where eight people are chosen to compete for $1 million in the Australian outback.
“I really appreciate all of the praise saying that my acting skills have improved, but to be honest I feel like I just guessed the answer to a question in an exam that I didn’t know but just happened to have gotten right,” Lee said.
“It wasn’t my talent, but the creative blend of the script, the production values and the outstanding cast that have made these films shine. They have pushed me further as an actor,” he added.
Because Lee is a former model, his acting talents may not be readily apparent to most, but the fact is he’s a hard worker who always strives to not only understand, but fully inhabit the characters he plays.
While preparing for his role as a member of the Coast Guard in Haeundae, Lee participated in a marine training program in Busan and a three-week rescue training program at the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters Department. In order to embody the malnourished character he plays in A Million, Lee actually starved himself for about 10 days during the shoot in Australia.
“Although it was not a requirement that I undergo intense training or refrain from eating, I did it because I wanted to. I thought that if I didn’t, it would be hard for me to portray the characters I was playing,” he said.
Lee said that while working with veteran actors like Sul Kyung-gu in Haeundae and Park Hee-soon and Park Hae-il in A Million, he realized that good actors are not born that way, but become good at what they do through hard work.
“They taught me that it takes a lot of time and effort to become a good actor. For instance, Sul sat in his room all day to practice the Gyeongsang accent that he needed for his role in the movie. He kept practicing until he had perfected it.”
Lee said there was one more thing that he learned from his fellow actors. “Good people seem to make good actors,” he said.
Judging from his good natured personality and solid work ethic, the same could also apply to Lee himself.
By Ki Sun-min [[email protected]] via INSIDE JoongAng Daily |
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August 6, 2009
Two Top Celebrities Admit that They’re in Love
Korea’s two top movie stars, Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo, admitted that they are in love. Having starred in the KBS drama “Worlds Within” as reunited lovers, the two have become a real-life couple off-screen about two months ago. Hyun’s representative at A.M. Entertainment said the two have remained friends even after the drama ended last year and their friendship blossomed into love just recently.
Hyun is currently starring in the drama “Friends, Our Story” on MBC, while Song is taking some time off. They’re both Hallyu stars with big followings in Asia. Hyun shot up to stardom after playing a temperamental restaurant owner in the hugely popular series “My Name is Kim Sam-soon” in 2005. On the other way, Song debuted when she was only 15 through a TV series called “Wedding Dress.” Since then she made names for herself by starring opposite of singer/actor Rain in the TV drama “Full House” and Lee Byung-heon in “All In.”
Source: KBS Global |
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August 6, 2009
Song Hye-gyo, Hyun Bin Become Couple
Stars Song Hye-gyo and Hyun Bin, who are the same age, have become a couple. Hyun's agency said on August 5 that Song and Hyun had been dating over the past two months after being just good friends.
The two acted opposite each other in the KBS TV2 series "Worlds Within," which aired last December. They portrayed broadcast producers who were in love with each other. Though the series recorded low viewer ratings, it drew significant attention for its realistic plot and the true-to-life acting of Song and Hyun.
Song is currently looking for her next role, while Hyun is appearing in the MBC TV series "Friend, Our Legend."
Source: KBS Global |
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August 6, 2009
New period piece beats status quo
"Boys Over Flowers" production company Group Eight and HUNUS Entertainment beat the status quo with their brand new period piece "Tamra, the Island."
Set to hit the small screen tomorrow night, "Tamra" blows period piece stereotypes out of the water. Fronted by French model Pierre Deporte -- who even sports a Korean name, Hwang Chan-bin -- "Tamra" is literally going global.
Not only does the series feature a non-Korean lead, according to a Group Eight press release, contracts have already been signed for "Tamra" to be exported to Japan, China, Hong Kong and Thailand.
Even the premise of "Tamra," which is based on a comic book series, is novel. Royal feuds and epic battles are conspicuously absent. Viewers are greeted, instead, with the great blue ocean, as seen through the eyes of an impish haenyo (a female diver from Jeju Island).
A shipwrecked Englishman -- played by Deporte -- washes ashore, a major event for the haenyo Jang Beo-jin. After all, it is 17th century Jeju. Fair-haired, blue-eyed creatures are not the norm.
And so begins the comic tale of a veritable mermaid and her Englishman. Of course, a Korean drama is never complete without a proper love triangle, hence the introduction of yet another male lead, an exiled aristocrat.
"When I read the synopsis of 'Tamra, the Island,' the character William was very interested in the East," Deporte stated in a Group Eight press release. "I myself was very interested in Korea. I thought, 'Ah, this is my story.'"
Deporte is referring to his own history with Korea. According to a Group Eight press release, an adolescent Deporte followed his parents to Korea and attended high school here. Prior to that, a young Deporte learned Korean from his new mother.
"Right around when I was 6, my father remarried in France. That was when I got a Korean mother. My mother taught me Korean and I also got to eat Korean food," he said.
Co-stars Seo Woo and Lim Ju-hwan will be starring opposite Deporte as haenyo Jang and aristocrat Park Kyu.
Seo reportedly struggled with her role as a diver.
"I cannot swim at all. Actually, I don't like the water," Seo said in a Group Eight press release.
Despite her fear of the water, Seo learned how to dive properly, undergoing approximately three months worth of training for her role as a haenyo.
The actual filming of the series presented an even greater challenge. According to a Group Eight press release, the crew and cast suffered from hypothermia and sunburns from extensive filming in the water.
Yet all the hard work may be lost on viewers. Put at a significant disadvantage in terms of its timeslot -- 8 p.m. on weekends is traditionally reserved for family dramas -- "Tamra" faces some stiff competition, with rival KBS series "The Sons of Sol Pharmacy House" currently holding the highest weekend ratings spot.
While a fresh and original cast and plot may not be enough to beat out tradition, it may succeed in setting a new precedent, not only for period pieces, but for dramas in general.
"Tamra, the Island" airs tomorrow night on MBC at 7:55 p.m.
By Jean Oh ([email protected]) via koreaherald.co.kr |
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Song Hye-Kyo, Hyun Bin dating
(CRI) Updated: 2009-08-06 17:18
South Korean actress Song Hye-Kyo with actor Hyun Bin
For "Worlds Within" actress Song Hye-Kyo, falling in love is just as real as what she is in the drama.
The agent company of the South Korean actress confirmed Wednesday that she is dating co-star Hyun Bin.
Song Hye-Kyo and Hyun Bin have been seeing each other since June, the agent says, extending the romance of their characters in the television drama.
This relationship has attracted great attention as both stars are popular among Asian audiences.
While some fans are presenting their blessings to the couple, some are skeptical this could be Song Hye-Kyo's another crush on her co-stars.
In 2003, Song Hye-Kyo met her ex-boyfriend Lee Byung-Hun when the two were filming the drama series "All In". They however broke up soon after.
Song Hye-Kyo's most recent love was allegedly dancer-turned actor Rain, whom she collaborated in "Full House", another hit TV drama on love romance. Song Hye-Kyo and Rain both denied the relationship, calling each other "a good friend".
Source: [url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/2009-08/06/content_8536896.htm"chinadaily.com.cn[/url] |
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August 6, 2009
Korean Films Dominate Local Box Office in July
Korean movies grabbed a 51.1 percent share of the domestic market in July as locally-produced blockbusters such as "Haeundae" and "Chaw" drew throngs of moviegoers. This is a record monthly high since 50.1 percent in February this year, according to data released by the Korean Film Council on Wednesday.
It has been three years since Korean films last dominated the box office in July, the time when a raft of Hollywood blockbusters are usually released. In 2006, "Hanbando" and "The Host" attracted over half of Korean moviegoers.
The number of viewers rose 27.8 percent to 16.82 million from 12.84 million a month earlier, while monthly sales also posted a 35.7 percent increase to W144.4 billion (US$1=W1,224).
Credits: englishnews@chosun.com |
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August 6, 2009
Warners offers Bruce Lee role to Rain
Korean singer-actor mulling remake of 'Enter the Dragon'
By Park Soo-mee
Rain (Getty)
SEOUL -- South Korean pop singer/actor Rain was offered the lead role in the Warner Bros. remake of Bruce Lee's kung fu flick "Enter the Dragon," J Tune Entertainment, Rain's agency, confirmed Thursday.
J Tune, however, added that Rain hasn't made a decision, and refused to discuss details.
The 27-year old actor stars as an assassin in the Wachowski Brothers' upcoming "Ninja Assassin" set for release in November.
"Enter the Dragon," which is considered one of Bruce Lee's most popular films in the West, and the last before his death, delves into a Shaolin monk (Lee) who is assigned to expose illegal activities on an island. For the film's contemporary take, the company has hired writer Kurk Sutter (also the co-producer for American TV drama "The Shield").
J Tune Entertainment said only that Rain is currently preparing for his next Asian concert tour later this year.
Source: hollywoodreporter.com |
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August 7, 2009
A disaster film, five years in the making
‘I learned through making “Haeundae” that nothing in the world is impossible.’
A scene from the Korean blockbuster “Haeundae” portrays pandemonium
as a massive tsunami slams into Busan. Provided by JK Film
The Korean blockbuster “Haeundae” has taken audiences by storm ? or perhaps it’s more apt to say by tsunami, which happens to be the main focus of the movie.
As of yesterday, the film had drawn an impressive 6 million moviegoers since its release on July 22.
Many critics and viewers attribute the film’s success to a gripping story line and its use of eye-catching advanced computer-generated graphics, which accounted for a big part of the movie’s 13 billion won ($10.6 million) budget.
The story is told through the human relations between various characters played by seasoned actors such as Sul Kyung-gu, Ha Ji-won and Park Joong-hoon, presenting audiences with a good mix of humor and touching, emotional scenes throughout the two-hour ride.
Director Yoon Je-kyoon, who also wrote the film, said he was staying in his hometown of Busan when he first heard about the tsunamis that hit Southeast Asia in December 2004.
“I conjured up a dramatic image of the million or so people who visit Haeundae Beach on holiday suddenly getting swept up in a tsunami, and that initial idea translated into this film,” Yoon said.
Yoon made his debut in the film world with the Mafia comedy “My Boss, My Hero” in 2001 before solidifying his position as a top filmmaker with productions such as “Sex Is Zero” and “Miracle on 1st Street.”
In an interview last month with the JoongAng Ilbo, Yoon talked about the process of making the film, the challenges he encountered and his thoughts about the movie’s main characters.
Director Yoon Je-kyoon
Q. It has been said that it took almost five years from the initial conception of the idea for the film to its completion.
A. Writing a script was as hard as making computer-generated graphics for a tsunami. To come up with the three “right” main couples for the film, I created stories for hundreds of potential characters for more than two years.
There are three couples that appear in Haeundae. The first is Yeon-hee, who makes a living by running an illicit sushi restaurant after losing her father in the tsunamis in Southeast Asia, and Man-sik, a widower who has a crush on Yeon-hee.
The second is Kim Hui, a geologist who warns of the tsunami barreling toward Korea, and Yu-jin, Kim’s ex-wife and a career woman who works at an ad agency for a big cultural event in Busan.
The last couple consists of Hee-mi, a charming student from Seoul who visits Haeundae on vacation, and Hyung-sik, a lifeguard who rescues and then quickly falls in love with Hee-mi.
What did you have in mind when creating these characters?
I wanted to avoid the over-redundant heroism that is often found in Hollywood disaster movies. In those films, the hero is always aware of the upcoming disaster and takes control of the situation quite easily. However, catastrophes like tsunamis aren’t something that can be dealt with so effortlessly.
Through the film, I tried to show how important and valuable human relationships are. The uncle of Man-sik, whom Man-sik detests, dies in an effort to save his nephew as the tsunami engulfs the whole city.
Hyung-sik sacrifices himself to save a man who looked down on him and even tried to take his girl away from him.
All I wanted to say was that we should value encounters with people. You never know what’s going to happen in life.
There’s quite an impressive scene where Yu-jin, on the verge of drowning inside an elevator, has what seems like her last phone conversation with her daughter.
I cried myself shooting the scene. It reminded me of my own two sons. I also cried when shooting the scene where Man-sik’s uncle dies after saving his nephew.
For Haeundae, you spent about $5 million on computer-generated special effects with a Hollywood staff. Is there anything you learned from the experience?
The big challenge with computer-generated (CG) effects is depicting water. For Haeundae, I brought in Mopek, a leading CG company in Korea, to work with Hans Uhlig, who was the CG supervisor of Hollywood blockbusters like “The Day after Tomorrow” and “The Perfect Storm.”
Because the resulting contract called for technology transfer to the local company, I feel proud that I helped Korean CG technology take a big step forward.
Creating water with CG is very difficult, so most films go with night scenes where the water is dark and relatively invisible. However, in Haeundae, all CG scenes of water are shot under full daylight. The harder thing, however, was shooting the scene where people are swept away by a tsunami. No one knew how to shoot the scene, as it had never been done before here.
Instead of shooting the scene in Korea, which would have cost us about 1 billion won and taken more than two months, we did it in the U.S., where we filmed it with a 5 million won model helicopter installed on top of a large barrel in a garage. At first, I was skeptical [of the method] despite the Hollywood staff’s claim that movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Master and Commander” used the same method. Then I learned that it was quite true, as I had witnessed a similar process during the special effects shoot of “Terminator Salvation.” And look at our final product. Isn’t it amazing?
Special effects are difficult for sure, but they’re worth a try. I learned through making Haeundae that nothing in the world is impossible, and I have gained confidence that Korean disaster films can develop their own style.
By Ki Sun-min, Park Sun-young [[email protected]] via INSIDE JoongAng Daily |
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August 7, 2009
'GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra' US Premiere
Cast member Byung-hun Lee arrives at the premiere of "G.I. Joe" in Los Angeles on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Source: kr.news.yahoo.com |
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August 7, 2009
'Haeundae' Tops Booking Charts for 3rd Straight Week
The movie "Haeundae" has become the first domestic movie this year to draw over 5 million viewers. Moreover, the movie has topped the booking charts for three straight weeks. According to the Korean Film Council on August 6, "Haeundae" recorded booking rates of 35.0 percent, topping the ranks. It also took the top spots on Maxmovie (30.0 percent) and Interpark (39.0 percent).
Actor Lee Byung-heom's Hollywood debut production "G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra," which opened on August 6, finished second at 22.8 percent, while "Take Off," which is about ski jumping, took the third spot at 18.5 percent.
The anime films "Up" (9.0 percent) and "Detective Conan: The Raven Chaser" (4.2 percent ) finished 4th and 5th, respectively, while the movie "A Million" starring Park Hae-il and Shin Min-ah finished 6th at 3.9 percent.
"Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," "Bloody Valentine," "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" and "Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid" recorded booking rates of about 1 percent.
Six productions are slated for release this week: the documentary "Yasukuni," about the famous Japanese shrine, the hard-gore movie "Martyrs," the children's documentary "The Meerkats," and the French movie about dancing "Rumba."
The Korean Film Archive will hold a screening of director Park Chan-wook's works August 6-13 at the Cinematech KOFA in Sangam-dong, Seoul. On August 8, Park will meet with the audience.
The 9th Seoul New Media Festival will run through August 9th in the Hongik University area and will screen various works that were produced using new media.
Source: KBS Global |
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August 7, 2009
Shin Seong-il to Star in Historical Drama
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
A photo of independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun.
Next year commemorates the 100th anniversary
of Ahn's death./ Courtesy of JI Productions
Veteran actor Shin Seong-il will appear in the television drama "The Light of the East" (working title).
The 72-year-old actor will play the first Japanese Resident-General Hirobumi Ito, who was assassinated by Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910) at Harbin, northeastern China, according to JI Productions Friday.
It is Shin's first full-length television drama in his 48-year acting career. "To appear in the drama, which is being made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Ahn's death, was a historical calling. We are all expecting a vigorous schedule of shooting back and forth in Korea and China, but I hope to bring the best of my acting to the drama," Shin was quoted as saying by JI Productions.
The line up for the television series included popular movie actor Lee Sung-jae as Ahn and Cheon Ho-jin as Ahn's father.
The 24-episode series "The Light of the East" will present the full life of Ahn, who struggled for Korea's independence and died in the process.
"The drama will take viewers to the past and show the lifelong struggle of our independence fighters, from their beliefs, their goals to their desires to make their dream come true amid the political and social chaos at the time," the production company said in a press release. The drama will start filming this October.
Shin, who started acting in 1960 with the movie "Romance Papa," is one of the most famous film stars here. He shot to stardom with his charismatic and romantic role in the film "The Barefooted Young" and made headlines when he married his co-star and the heroine of the film, Um Aing-ran. In 2000, he ran for political office for the Grand National Park and was elected but was sent to prison for bribery in 2005. He was released by a special pardon in 2007.
Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr |
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August 7, 2009
Park Jung-ah of Jewelry Dating Gil of LeeSsang
Park Jung-ah, leader of the girl group Jewelry, has been going out with Gil of hip hop duo LeeSsang for about a year now. The relationship between the two blossomed after they both appeared on Happy Sunday on KBS 2TV last year.
Park is the leader of Jewelry, whose hit “One More Time” swept the music charts early last year. Originally a hip hop singer, Gil is now a regular on two MBC variety shows, “Infinite Challenge” and “Come Play.” The two singers’ relationship has been kept secret even from their closest friends, because they chose to keep a low profile and didn’t want the media or their fans to make a fuss. The couple shares a lot in common, like their passion for music. Gil says that he fell for Park’s kind-heartedness and Park likes Gil’s steadfast and reliable personality. Both Park and Gil are getting ready to release albums later this month. It will be the sixth album for both Jewelry and LeeSsang.
Source: KBS Global |
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August 7, 2009
SM Entertainment Postpones Concert
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
SM Entertainment's popular group TVXQ
SM Entertainment will postpone its annual SMTOWN LIVE '09 concert due to legal action being taken by the three members of the pop group TVXQ. The concert was scheduled for Aug. 16 at the main stadium of Jamsil Sports Complex.
"We express our apologies to fans that we have to announce such sad news ... We promise we will bring a better event in the future," SM Entertainment said in a press release Friday. The agency said that they will give refunds for tickets that have already been purchased.
The announcement came following the news that Hero, Micky and Xiah submitted an application for provisional disposition to terminate the validity of their contract with the agency last week. The legal action caused waves in the pop industry, along with fans who worried the group would disband.
SMTOWN LIVE '09 is one of the biggest concert events here hosted by the agency starring some of the most popular groups in Korea, including TVXQ, Girls' Generation and Super Junior.
Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr |
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July 31, 2009
Korea’s First 3D Horror Project Soul Mate Announced
Soul Mate, to be directed by KIM Ji-hwan resulted from KOFIC’s Filmmaker’s Development Lab (FDL) and took part in PIFAN’s Network of Asian Fantastic Film’s (NAFF). The production of such films underscores the growing importance of PIFAN not just as an exhibitor of genre films but as a catalyst of film production. The FDL on the other hand, is a programme that takes a number of film projects from up and coming Korean film makers (in and out of the country) and matches them with mentors from the film industry. This year there were 5 projects including Soul Mate.
The $2 million dollar film is to be created by Korean visual effects company ‘Macrograph’ and production company ‘Entourage’. Macrograph for its part is no stranger to high profile movies after working on Korean films The Forbidden Kingdom, The Restless, and thriller Handphone. The film has already secured development funds and the film’s producers are in talks with local and one Singaporean company to secure coproduction partners.
Rather than the usual fare of (pretty young) girls becoming murder fodder to a host of grizzly attackers, Soul Mate focuses on a group of college boys. The producers are aiming to assemble a “dream team of good-looking boys” who will one by one, come to their ends at the hand of a mysterious stalker. This film is expected to be released in the summer of 2010.
David Oxenbridge (KOFIC) |
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July 31, 2009
Haeundae Box Office Rampage about to Hit China
Even though tidal wave warning systems had predicted the oncoming Haeundae tsunami, the Korean box office was not prepared for its mass devastation. The film attracted 1,546,976 viewers in its opening weekend grossing over 11 billion won (U.S $.9,000,000) Climbing to number one in the box office it even managed to push aside Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which has been weaving its own box office magic around the world.
Tsunamis usually subside but Haeundae has continued its onslaught going from success to success. Initially, when it was released back in April it sold to a number of territories at the HK Film Mart. Word of its success obviously reached back to Korea and anticipation of its release here was high. More recently, it has been announced the China Film Group (C.F.G), will, on a revenue-sharing basis import the film into China. This is rare for a Korean film but given the film’s star power, ongoing success and mix of big-budget, block-buster yet non political ideals, does seem an ideal China release. The film was released in Korea July 23.
Credits: David Oxenbridge (KOFIC) |
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August 4, 2009
Ha Jung-woo becomes a national ski jumper
Korean filmmakers have discovered a new-found love in sports dramas. Next is 200 Pounds Beautydirector KIM Yong-hwa who lined up HA Jung-woo as an Olympic ski jumper. The underdog sports drama Take Off is based on real life events.
A ski jumping team is required for North Jeolla's Muju's 2002 Olympic winter games bid. A ski instructor with no ski jumping knowledge assembles a ragtag outfit who are as unlikely contenders as they come in underdog sports dramas.
HA's main character is an adoptee who is searching for his biological parents. He is reluctant to represent Korea because he feels betrayed by the Korean people. Another man joins because he is smitten with the pretty daughter of the coach. A third member wants to escape from his overbearing father, and the fourth hopes of success as a national athlete to avoid military duty because he is the breadwinner of the family.
The sports drama contains the recognisable elements of the genre, like the team building process, and the struggle of unfit people who turn into contenders. KIM is a comedy specialist and he strategically places humoristic moments throughout the film. Take Off is to jump off the screen from 29 July.
[size=]Credits: Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC) |
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