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March 19, 2013
Seven set to start Army service
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Hallyu star singer Se7en, whose real name is Choi Dong-wook, was enlisted to serve his mandatory military service yesterday.
He will get his basic training for eight weeks and then will start serving his 21-month-long military duty in the Army.
“I feel sorry that I’m going to the Army so late and I’ll put my best effort in the military,” said Se7en in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, where he was enlisted.
“I was really impressed with the secret enlistment of Yoo Seung-ho recently, so I feel sorry that I’m making too much of a deal about it, although it is not my intention.”
Many of his local and overseas fans visited him to send him off for the next two years.
His girlfriend of 11 years, actress Park Han-byul, did not come to the enlistment due to her filming schedule overseas, according to local media reports. |
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March 19, 2013
U-Kiss to perform at concert with Backstreet Boys
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
U-Kiss will be sharing the stage with world-class pop group Backstreet Boys in Malaysia.
According to the group’s agency NH Entertainment, U-Kiss will perform to celebrate the “Formula 1 Malaysia Grand Prix” in Malaysia on Friday.
At the concert, Backstreet Boys will also appear.
“This concert will be something meaningful,” said U-Kiss, according to the agency. “As we will get to see Backstreet Boys in person, it will be a very memorable experience.”
Girl group 2NE1 will also perform at the event, the third in a series for F1 events in Malaysia.
In the first concert in 2011, Wonder Girls was invited to perform, and Girls’ Generation participated in the second concert.
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily |
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March 19, 2013
Shinji and Yoo Byung-jae back together
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Shinji of hip hop group Koyote and basketball player Yoo Byung-jae have reunited as a couple, according to local media reports yesterday.
“The two recently got back together just like any couple would meet and break up or fight and then resolve issues,” said one of their acquaintances to the local media.
The couple started dating in April 2011. However, after almost two years, the two went through a break-up in December last year, saying that they would just stay good friends.
Shinji has been preparing to make a comeback as a singer and performer with Koyote, and making appearances at many of the TV shows, including cable channel JTBC’s “Hello.”
Yoo, who started his professional career as a basketball payer in 2007, decided to retire in September last year due to his knee injury. |
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March 19, 2013
Lee Byung-hun talks about girlfriend
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Lee Byung-hun shared stories about his relationship with actress Lee Min-jung on SBS talk show “Healing Camp” Monday.
The two went public with their relationship in April last year, four months after local media first reported that the two were dating.
Lee said they first met through mutual acquaintances in 2006 when his girlfriend started working in the entertainment business.
“I was worried that I could hinder her career,” Lee explained. “And I had to be abroad for about a year for filming, so we ended things.”
The two seldom talked during their time apart, and when they met again, Lee Min-jung surprised Lee Byung-hun by avoiding eye contact.
“I called her one night after I saw her in my dream and asked why she avoided me,” Lee said. “She said she hated me for looking like I didn’t have [any remaining] feelings.”
It was only an act, though, and the couple reunited when the actor returned to Korea. |
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March 19, 2013
Reporter countersues Lee Mi-sook
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Veteran actress Lee Mi-sook is being countersued for defamation by a reporter from Newsis.
The journalist, surnamed Yu, was sued by Lee for libel in January 2012 after reporting that Lee had an “inappropriate relationship” with a male host 17 years her junior.
Lee recently dropped the suit, but Yu is fighting back.
“Lee distributed a press release with false information to local media from May to July last year in which [Lee] falsely argued that [Yu] repeated what was alleged by her former management agency,” Yu said in a petition filed yesterday with prosecutors. “This is libel as Lee distributed false information to slander [Yu].”
Yu also said that Lee earlier filed a legal petition to avoid public blame for dating a younger man.
“Lee knew the media report was true, but she filed a petition [for the libel suit] to shift blame from herself,” Yu said.
In an initial ruling, a court said Lee had insufficient evidence to file suit against Yu, and the actress soon dropped the case. |
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March 19, 2013
'Infinite Challenge' is noticed in U.K.
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Britain’s Channel 4 will include MBC’s reality show “Infinite Challenge” in a four-episode documentary program called “The Greatest Shows on Earth,” an MBC official said Monday according to local media.
A presenter for the documentary, Daisy Donovan, will meet with members of the “Infinite Challenge” for a taping in Korea tomorrow.
The British TV network has chosen four countries for each segment, and a variety of shows will be introduced.
Kim Tae-ho, the producer of “Infinite Challenge,” was said to have received a request from the British channel early this year.
His program, which first aired in 2006, is well known for its calendar. More than 3.5 million copies of the calendar featuring photos and writings from cast members were sold since its launch in 2008.
The program has seven members including Yoo Jae-suk, Park Myung-soo, Jung Jun-ha, Jung Hyung-don, No Hong-cheol, Haha and Gill.
They deliver calendars to their fans in person during the show every year. |
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March 20, 2013
Cho Min-soo Named Most Popular Actress at Asian Film Awards
The ChosunIlbo
Cho Min-soo, the heroine of Venice Golden Lion winner "Pieta," was named most popular actress at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong on Monday.
Cho appeared in a sophisticated black dress to receive the People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress.
Kim Go-eun, who played the heroine in "A Muse," walked down the red carpet as a presenter, and Lou Ye's "Mystery" was named best film.
Although a number of Korean films were nominated in various categories, none came out on top. |
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March 19, 2013
Lee Chang-dong to head Asian Film Academy
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
Film director Lee Chang-dong. (The Korea Herald)
Filmmaker Lee Chang-dong has been appointed as the dean of this year’s Asian Film Academy, organizers of Busan International Film Festival said.
An intensive film education program organized by BIFF, the Asian Film Academy offers its students a chance to participate in short film productions and attend workshops as well as mentoring sessions. Lee is the second Korean filmmaker to serve as AFA’s dean, after director Im Kwon-taek.
Former AFA deans include Hou Hsiao Hsien, Jia Zhangke, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Abbas Kiarostami.
Director Lee made his feature film debut in 1997 with “Green Fish,” and released “Peppermint Candy” (2000) and “Oasis” (2002) thereafter. His 2007 film “Secret Sunshine” was featured in the competition section of the 60th Cannes Film Festival, though did not win. His 2010 film “Poetry” won the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival in the same year.
Lee also served as the Culture Minister from 2003 to 2004.
The Asian Film Academy runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 13, and is currently accepting applications. The application deadline is April 30. For more information, visit afa.biff.kr. |
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March 20, 2013
Soo-ae says she's sticking with her agency
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Soo-ae, who plays a leading character in SBS drama “King of Ambition,” rebutted local media reports that said she will leave her current agency of 14 years.
“It is not true that ‘King of Ambition’ is the last work that Soo-ae will do with Star J Entertainment,” said her agency yesterday, according to Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily. “It doesn’t make sense that her contract would expire. [She has been working] without a contact.”
Earlier yesterday, one local media agency reported that Soo-ae was considering leaving her agency as her contract expires soon. Many industry officials speculated that she is seeking a new agency that can bring her more diverse roles. |
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March 20, 2013
Yeon Jung-hoon returns to network
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Yeon Jung-hoon will be back on network television with a new drama for the first time in three years.
Yeon is finalizing plans with MBC to take a leading role in the upcoming weekend show tentatively named “Come Out Gold,” according to local media reports yesterday.
He will play Park Hyun-soo, the eldest son of a jewelry business owner. Park, a divorcee, finds a new love with independent jewelry designer Jung Mong-hee during his short visit to Korea from overseas.
Jung will be played by Han Ji-hye, who gained popularity in drama “May Queen” and movie “My Boyfriend Is Type B.”
Lee Soo-kyung, well-known for her role in the 2011 drama “Color of Women,” will play a wealthy jewelry designer who is friends with Han.
The drama will air next month after “Rascal Sons.”
Yeon’s last network TV drama was “East of Eden,” which aired on MBC in 2009.
He also appeared in “Vampire Prosecutor 2” of cable channel OCN last year. |
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March 20, 2013
SBS drama gets head start overseas
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
SBS drama “That Winter, The Wind Blows” recorded higher-than-expected ratings in Singapore as it went on air last week, according to the drama’s agency yesterday.
The drama’s first episode on Singapore’s One Channel recorded rating of higher than 1 percent.
“It is unusual for an ongoing drama to be aired overseas,” said the agency, according to local media reports. “Because Song Hye-gyo and Zo In-sung took leading roles, the distribution rights were sold to Singapore immediately after the drama started to broadcast [in Korea].”
The president of the agency also said that he did not expect to see a heated response to the very first episode.
“[The drama] will see rising viewership and will ignite the Korean Wave again,” President Jo Jeong-ho said.
The drama will also air in other Asian countries, including Japan. The cast will go on a global tour after filming ends in Korea. |
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March 20, 2013
After slump, Han Suk-kyu returns to spotlight
By Jung Hyun-mok Korea JoongAng Daily
Han Suk-kyu is a top-notch actor, but in his personal life, he lives away from his wife and children, who spend most of their time abroad for education. Han says he assuages his loneliness by reading books and watching movies. Provided by Showbox Mediaplex
Leading actor Han Suk-kyu is a trailblazer in the Korean movie industry. He has proved that any talented person can be an A-list actor even without smothering good looks or charisma.
Han’s characters include a dying man in his 30s from “Christmas in August” (1998) and a gigolo in “Moon over Seoul” (1994). Across the diverse personalities, he knew how to be real without resorting to cliches.
Han indeed paved the way for character actors such as Song Kang-ho, Kim Yoon-seok and Ryu Seung-ryong, who are some of the best known in their field today.
He dominated the film industry in the late 1990s after rising to stardom in the drama “Moon Over Seoul” and then acted in a series of megahits including “Dr. Bong” (1995), “The Gingko Bed” (1996), “Green Fish” (1997) and “The Contact” (1997). At his peak in 1999, he solidified his status as a top star with “Swiri” (1998) and “Tell Me Something” (1999).
After that high point, Han suffered from a slump as his movies in the early 2000s failed to impress. Recently, however, the 49-year-old actor seems to have regained his old glory in dramas “Deep Rooted Tree” (2011) and action-thriller “The Berlin File.”
After such ups and downs, Han recently completed his 20th film, “My Paparotti,” that hit theaters on March 14.
In the film, Han plays music teacher Sang-jin who is stuck in a rut until he meets a delinquent teenager played by Lee Jye-hoon. Sang-jin, once a promising vocalist, decided to teach his trade to the boy.
Han in his 1998 hit “Christmas in August” with co-star Shim Eun-ha
The JoongAng Ilbo recently sat down with Han during a recent press event.
Q. You show off impressive singing skills in the new film.
A. Yes, I sang the Korean song “Someone Who Gives Happiness” at the piano with my counterpart in the movie. Indeed, becoming a vocalist was one of my dreams back when I was young. I also sang two songs for “Christmas in August.”
Your character in the film is foul-mouthed, and the way you swear comes across as quite realistic.
When I played King Sejong in “Deep Rooted Tree,” my character was also loved for his tough side as he often swore. However, the effect was unintended. The curse words were not written into the screenplay, but I still swore on a whim and writers liked it so much that they started to add bad words to my lines.
It seems like “Deep Rooted Tree” was especially meaningful for you. Do you think the program was your ticket back to the spotlight?
I don’t know whether it was a coincidence, but I was offered the role when I was thinking about why King Sejong created hangul [the Korean writing system]. I think I was meant to take the role. Nowadays, I’m thinking about Crown Prince Yeongchin. I’d like to star in a film about the king someday. And King Yeongjo, who killed his son Prince Sado, also intrigues me these days.
Besides the drama, were there any similarly auspicious moments in your life?
I was offered the role in “Christmas in August” just when I wanted to work on a heart-wrenching love story after watching “Il Postino” (1994).
You’ve been working for decades. If you had to pick, what would be your most memorable work?
I would pick “Christmas in August” because it depicts the gradually developing emotions of two leads. But when it comes to my acting, I would pick “Moon Over Seoul.” I feel like I was alive and fresh in the drama.
You are noted as a fishing enthusiast. What do you think acting and fishing have in common?
Sometimes beginners catch a big fish, but those who make steady efforts catch more fish in the long run. I’m acting because it’s what I want to be good at for the rest of my life. I still think my acting is not good enough. In the past, I used to act to show achievements. I doubted if I was taking my roles seriously enough. I think I should be more flexible.
What problems exist in the Korean movie industry?
I think it is obsessed with inducing tears and laughter. The film industry needs to lead, but many of today’s movies are only interested in being as broadly satisfying as possible.
You are approaching 50. Is there any kind of movie you want to do?
I want to shoot another melodrama with Sim Jae-myung, the producer of “The Contact.” It would be a middle-aged romance. In addition, I want to work on a movie based on the [1950-53] Korean War like “Swiri” or “Double Agent” (2002).
“The Berlin File” is a hit but does not delicately portray Korean sentiment about the tragedy of a divided nation. So I want to do another war movie. |
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March 21, 2013
S.Korea Hit by Massive Cyber Attack
The ChosunIlbo
Major banks and TV broadcasters suffered massive computer network failures on Wednesday afternoon. It is unclear who was behind the attack.
The computer networks of broadcasters KBS, MBC and YTN simultaneously failed at around 2:15 p.m. Computers suddenly shut down or froze and could not be rebooted until late afternoon.
Shinhan Bank's computer network suffered the same fate. Computers at headquarters and all branches failed or had files deleted automatically, while operations ranging from banking and ATMs to online transactions ground to a halt. Shinhan managed to restore the network about two hours later.
Jeju Bank, Nonghyup, NH Life Insurance and NH Fire also suffered massive network failures until late afternoon. No damage was reported in government or military computer networks.
The Korea Communications Commission said a malicious code was spread through servers in companies that automatically update PC vaccine programs. Cyber security experts said hackers opted for what is known as an "Advanced Persistent Threat" to knock down the networks -- a more sophisticated way of bringing down entire computer systems than the so-called distributed denial-of-service attacks South Korea suffered previously, which simply overload the systems.
The government and military here are focusing on the fact that the cyber attacks came just five days after North Korea threatened revenge for two days of hacking attacks apparently suffered by the state-run Rodong Sinmun daily and Korean Central Television.
North Korea also threatened to attack major South Korean media last year. "This could be the start of a full-fledged cyber war," said one intelligence official. "Future attacks could target the government's computer network, nuclear power plants, railways and other national infrastructure."
Cyber security experts called for a thorough check to assess the vulnerability of computer networks of the state-run organizations and other major institutions.
President Park Geun-hye was briefed on the situation on Wednesday afternoon by Kim Jang-soo, the nominee for presidential security adviser, and told officials to find out what caused the failures.
The Defense Ministry said it raised the cyber threat level, or INFOCON, by one notch. |
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March 20, 2013
Soap opera, literally
Viewers frustrated over blurring boundaries between dramas, commercials
By Do Je-hae The Korea Times
Song Hye-kyo in the SBS TV drama, “That Winter, the Wind Blows” / Korea Times file
At the cosmetic store Aritaum at the D-CUBE department store in western Seoul, a group of young women in their 20s sample the "it" lipstick of the moment, the "Silk Intense Lipstick" line from Laneige.
In the media and among consumers here, the line is known as "Song Hye-kyo lipstick." "They are a bit pricy for a Korean-brand lipstick, but they are the most popular item in the store these days," a salesperson said.
What consumers are going for is the polish and elegance of actress Song Hye-kyo, who stars in the TV drama “That Winter, The Wind Blows” with Zo In-sung, who has made a successful comeback from military service. Song has been the face of Laneige for the last six years, appearing in TV and magazine advertisements.
In one scene from the drama, Zo waits for Song while she gets a full makeover at a Laneige store. Laneige is just one brand getting exposure through the drama, in addition to tuxedo maker Parkland and Hyundai Motor Company.
Such prevalent product placement (PPL) prompted many viewers to leave hostile comments on the melodrama's official website since it first aired on Feb. 14.
The Korea Communication Standards Commission (KCSC) recently issued a warning to the three major broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS, to exercise restraint with PPL marketing in TV dramas and shows.
"Aside from merely exposing a product on screen, there are instances where broadcasters are using captions or dialogue to highlight certain products. Such instances are violations of the current PPL regulations," an official with the KCSC said. The KCSC is considering applying fines for such violations.
But there is still confusion as to how much PPL is legal. Programs with high viewer ratings are subject to more scrutiny and criticism, whereas violations from less popular programs tend to go unnoticed.
Downsides of PPL
Product placements are indirect advertisements where consumers are exposed to products or services in TV programs or films, in exchange for monetary compensation from advertisers.
PPL became legal here in 2010, with some restrictions. It is allowed in entertainment and culture programs, given they constitute less than 5 percent of air time, and must run under 30 seconds per brand. Since then, broadcasters have actively used PPLs to generate more advertising revenue.
Generally, PPLs aim to insert images of the intended products without giving the impression of an advertisement. However, some industry experts say the prevalence of PPLs distract viewers and harm the quality of programming.
"Right now, we are seeing more dramas where PPL is dictating the content of the program. This could undermine the quality of Korea's broadcast content in the future," culture critic Ha Je-geun wrote in a recent blog posting.
TV dramas are not the only vehicle for PPL these days. PPL marketing is also appearing in musicals, movies and webtoons.
Undercover cop thriller "New World, which opened in theaters in late February, featured its main character smoking cigarettes by KT&G and others using Blackberry smartphones.
The webtoon "PEAK" on DAUM, which revolves around a mountain rescuer, exposes the logo of the sports brand Kolon on clothes worn by major characters. |
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March 21, 2013
Sooyoung warns her impersonator
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Sooyoung, a member of Girl’s Generation gave a warning to one netizen who impersonated her online on the group’s official home page yesterday.
“I couldn’t stand that someone has been impersonating me,” she said.
“At first, I tired to laugh about it, but I get angry as it makes [fans] confused.”
She also said that she will take some action if someone else keeps using Sooyoung’s name online.
“Fake Sooyoung, I thank you for trying to communicate with the [fans] for a while, but it cannot continue. If it doesn’t stop here, I won’t stay not doing anything.” |
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March 21, 2013
Yoon Kye-sang is back in the movies
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Singer-turned-actor Yoon Kye-sang is coming back to the big screen for the first time in two years with “Minority Opinion.”
In the movie for which filming started yesterday, Yoon plays Jin-won, a public defender who fights to establish social justice. He defends a father who kills a policeman after his son dies at a demolition site.
Yoo Hae-jin plays a divorce lawyer, Dae-seok, who is also a mentor to Jin-won. Kim Ok-bin of 2009 movies “Thirst” and “Actresses” plays a reporter who covers the action.
“As a novel of the same title is remade into a movie, the detailed legal fights will be the must-see scenes,” said an official at CJ Entertainment, according to local media reports. “On top of the strong story line, some veteran actors and actresses will add more depth to this new legal drama.”
The movie is scheduled to be released next year.
The original novel was written by Park Gwon-il, who gained attention with his previous book “880,000 won Generation.” |
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March 21, 2013
In drama, concubines compete for royal love
'I am quite worried about the level of body exposure.' - Kim Hyun-joo
By Yang Sung-hee Korea JoongAng Daily
Actress Kim Hyun-joo, who has an innocent image, is playing a femme fatale who tries to seduce a king in an attempt to obtain power. provided by JTBC
A cruel battle among concubines during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) is the theme for legendary screenwriter Kim Soo-hyun’s new JTBC’s weekend drama “Cruel Palace - War of Flowers.”
This fictional period piece will succeed Kim’s latest drama “Best Life is Without Children” and centers around a royal concubine Jo So-yong (Kim Hyun-joo) as she tries to gain the attention of King Injo (Lee Duk-hwa) with her beauty and wit. When she succeeds, there is a bloody battle over the power she receives.
On Tuesday, the first episode of the drama was revealed at a press conference. Reporters had their eyes glued to the screen as King Injo admits a humiliating defeat to the new dynasty of Qing in the Manchu War.
The re-enactment is based on the legendary tale of King Injo bowing three times and bashing his head into the ground to admit his defeat to Huang Taiji.
And true to its title, “Cruel Palace” is not for the faint-hearted.
“I’ve focused a lot on the artistic side of the drama such as by showing each character’s inner conflict with clashing colors,” said producer Noh Jong-chan. “I’m also planning to take the audience to the very deepest depths of the scenes in the king’s bedroom as well as the scenes that show the relationships between the concubines.”
Actress Kim said during the press conference that this is her first time playing a femme fatale. She often evokes an innocent image in drama fans’ minds, but Kim said that this kind of typecasting doesn’t really bother her.
She explained that she is simply looking forward to a new experience and is “more than delighted to have been given the opportunity to try something new.”
From left, Song Sun-mi, Kim Hyun-joo and Lee Duk-hwa play leading roles in the new JTBC drama "Cruel Palace-War of Flowers."
“Jo is like a beautiful red rose with a large thorn. This role will be a new life story for my acting career. I personally think it will be more interesting for an actress with an innocent image like myself to take up this wicked role,” Kim said.
Kim will also have to shoot love scenes with veteran actor Lee, who is 25 years her senior, as well as with Jun Tae-soo who plays Nam Hyuck, Jo’s first love in the television series.
“I am quite worried about the level of body exposure as well as the deep expressions that I have to display during the love scenes,” said Kim. “I’ve been taking Korean dance classes to prepare for the scene in which So-yong seduces the king. I hope viewers take note of how we portray the world inside the royal palace.”
According to the production team, Kim will be “seeking to show the different sides of So-yong as she transitions from a naive young girl into an imposing royal concubine. Her numerous transformations will captivate the hearts of viewers.”
Meanwhile, Lee, who’s taking up the role of the king, said during the press conference, “Injo is a king who acceded to the throne due to a revolutionary force. He had no philosophy of his own and was just a puppet king.”
“It is more interesting for me to portray a king that we are unfamiliar with,” he added. “Like the line that goes ‘He is an incompetent king’ in the drama, Injo doesn’t really know what a king does. When I was shooting the scene where I admit defeat, I was really humiliated.” |
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