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May 30, 2013
'All about My Romance' ends with disappointing rating
Jin Eun-soo, Intern reporter The Korea Herald
"All about My Romance" (SBS TV)
SBS TV drama “All about My Romance” ended its run of 16 episodes with a happy ending on Wednesday, although its last installment received a disappointing 4.0 percent rating.
The drama mixed political issues with romance, only to see a tepid reaction from viewers. The series drew an average viewer rating of 5.2 percent.
The plot involved a romance between the characters played by Lee Min-jung and Shin Ha-gyun. Lee and Shin played legislators from rival political parties, who ended up falling in love and overcoming their differences in political ideologies.
As a follow-up in the Wednesday-Thursday TV drama time slot, “I Hear Your Voice” will kick off on June 5, featuring Yun Sang-hyun and Lee Bo-young. |
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May 30, 2013
Lee Hyo-ri reveals boyfriend details
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Lee Hyo-ri expressed her love for her boyfriend Lee Sang-soon on MBC talk show “Radio Star” Wednesday.
When one of the four hosts, Gyuhyun of Super Junior, asked her what she thinks about Sang-soon, she answered that she wants him to be the last man in her life.
“He may not be the type that looks very attractive at first sight, but he grows more charming [as you get to know him,]” Lee said.
However, Lee also revealed that she has received some complaints from fans about her relationship as well. One fan expressed anger online when Lee traveled with her boyfriend to Jeju Island but did not perform there.
“The fan asked me when I was going to record new songs,” and also asked “Are you in Jeju?” in unfriendly language via a social networking service, according to Lee.
Lee also said that she likes men who are willing to put their credit cards in her wallet and mentioned a fetish for sexy spines. |
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May 30, 2013
Kim Sang-hyuk arrested for drunk act
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Kim Sang-hyuk, former member of boy band Click-B, was arrested Wednesday for sexual harassment, according to Gangnam police yesterday.
He was arrested on the street in Nonhyun-dong, southern Seoul, after a woman in her early 20s called the police and said she was sexually harassed.
It is said that Kim, who was drunk at the time, held the woman’s wrist and told her to accompany him to some place.
“When he said ‘let’s go somewhere,’ I immediately felt embarrassed and called [the police,]” the woman said, according to police.
Kim was reported to have said that he doesn’t remember anything and that the two don’t know each other.
Such news had many fans send out worried comments as it has only been two weeks since Kim announced his comeback after completing mandatory military service.
The star debuted in 1999 as a member of a boy band. He was charged with DUI in 2005. |
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May 30, 2013
Social networking key to stars' success
On Facebook, YG Entertainment was the clear winner. Posts about Big Bang spread most
By Lee Kyung-hee Korea JoongAng Daily
Above: Among popular K-pop groups, Big Bang from YG Entertainment has more influence on Facebook. Provided by YG Entertainment Top: SM’s Girls’ Generation has the least. [JoongAng Ilbo]
As evidenced by Psy’s meteoric rise via YouTube, online social networks are growing more important for the K-pop industry. The nation’s two major entertainment agencies - SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment - have jumped on the chance to communicate with fans via Facebook, Twitter and other platforms.
SM and YG have taken distinct approaches to social media, and the JoongAng Ilbo analyzed their efforts with the help of social music service Muzalive’s self-developed analysis tool (www.theboda.net). To draw a comparison, YG Entertainment’s Psy and Big Bang and SM Entertainment’s Girls’ Generation and Super Junior were selected for the project.
On Facebook, YG Entertainment was the clear winner. Posts about Big Bang spread most widely among the site’s users, followed by Psy and Super Junior. To the contrary, posts about Girls Generation were shared the least.
More specifically, Psy posts were shared an average of 7,000 times per week while those about Girls’ Generation were reposted only 496 times on average. Big Bang and Psy had the most active fans who either shared or “liked” posts more than once a week.
But these statistics don’t offer the whole picture.
“K-pop artists have many fans in the global market, but they tend to be less active online. It is K-pop stars’ homework to figure out how to raise the rate,” said Lee Seong-kyu, head of Muzalive.
Even star of the moment Psy suffers from the problem. The analysis found that 80 percent of the rapper’s active fans shared or liked posts about him only once a week, on average.
A geographic distribution of Facebook fans showed that Psy and Girls’ Generation were most popular in English-speaking countries, while most of Big Bang’s active fans were in Japan.
Hits on the K-pop groups’ Wikipedia pages showed similar results. However, when Psy released his new single “Gentleman,” visits to his Spanish-language Wikipedia page surpassed those to the English-language page.
“After an analysis of the number of Wikipedia page hits, we determined that the number of hits is closely correlated to digital album sales. As such, Psy and Girls’ Generation rank high on the Billboard charts,” Lee said.
Both SM and YG have been pushing ahead with social media strategies but in different ways.
SM Entertainment established an integrated channel called “SM Town” to group its artists together. The agency uploads important news about artists - such as when they top Billboard charts - on the SM Town channel, while less important information goes through artists’ individual channels.
On the other hand, YG Entertainment makes full use of each artist’s channel. For example, Psy uploads news about upcoming concerts on YouTube. The agency’s integrated channel YG Family only acts as a hub to connect the agency’s artists.
“YG Entertainment focuses more on diffusing power while SM Entertainment focuses on a more centralized system. SM Entertainment seems to be focusing on its group image - for instance by holding group concerts under the title “SM Town” - but the results haven’t met expectations,” Lee said.
Regardless, SM officials insist that they’re making full use of social network data.
“We are trying to actively use SNS data in our promotions and are especially focused on Facebook and YouTube. The reason why we decided to organize a tour around South America for Super Junior is because we saw a hike in social network usage in the area,” said Yoo Eun-bi, an official from the artists strategy and communications department at SM Entertainment. |
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May 31, 2013
Dashing Zo In-Sung is back
By SETO KIT YAN StarOnline
Cool and contented: Zo In-sung is perfectly happy with his success in Asia. He has no plans to crack the Hollywood market.
After a stint with the South Korean air force, the dashing Zo In-Sung stages a successful comeback into showbiz.
AT 186cm, the fair and handsome Zo In-sung (also known as Jo In-seong) stands out in the crowd. However, when paired with petite South Korean actresses such as Song Hye-kyo (who stands at 161cm) in the romantic drama That Winter, The Wind Blows, that could pose as an issue on camera.
But that problem has never crossed his mind. “I’ve never thought about it,” said the towering 31-year-old, adding that it was fantastic working with an established actress like Song, also 31.
Like all able-bodied young men in Korea, Zo had to serve his two-year mandatory military service and did so by following in his father’s footsteps by joining the air force in 2009.
After being discharged in 2011, Zo made his comeback the following year in That Winter, The Wind Blows, his first drama in eight years.
In the 16-episode television series, Zo portrays an orphan named Oh Soo who is addicted to gambling and becomes a con-artist after losing his first love. Things change when he pretends to be the long-lost brother of Oh Young (Song), a blind heiress who has lost her parents. Together, they begin to discover new meaning in their lives.
The dashing model-turned-actor was in a happy mood during a media interview at KL Hilton last Tuesday to promote That Winter, The Wind Blows. “Being here (in Kuala Lumpur) and doing this media interview is just like a holiday for me. I find it all very relaxing and enjoyable,” he drawled as he took a sip from a tall glass of iced coffee. Zo also shared that this was his second visit to Malaysia; his first trip here was to shoot a commercial.
When That Winter, The Wind Blows first aired on ONE HD in March, it was the top rated show in its time slot among international channels in Malaysia and Singapore for pay-TV. Asked to comment on that, Zo said: “I’m not a fortune teller so I didn’t expect it to be this big. I did have a good feeling about this drama, though. With such a wonderful script and story, I had a feeling I could really work at it, and maybe in a way, expect other people to love this drama too.”
Unlike fellow Korean artistes like Lee Byung-hun (G.I Joe: The Rise Of Cobra and G.I Joe: Retaliation) and Rain (Ninja Assassin and Speed Racer) who ventured to Hollywood, Zo said that he does not aspire to take his career beyond Korea. “I don’t speak English,” the lanky chap said, adding, “I don’t have big dreams. I’m already lucky and happy to be in this position here. There is a saying that goes, “If you don’t worry about your future too much, you can focus more on the present”.
>Due to popular demand, That Winter, The Wind Blows is set for a re-run every Saturday and Sunday at 3.15pm on ONE HD (Astro B.yond Ch 393) starting June 1. |
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May 30, 2013
Stars promote 'I Hear Your Voice'
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actress Lee Bo-young smiles for the camera during a press conference.
Cast members, including actor Lee Jong-suk, far left, and Yoon Sang-hyun, far right, sit on stage yesterday to promote their upcoming drama.
Actor Yoon Sang-hyun poses with actor Lee Jong-suk during a press conference at SBS headquarters in Mok-dong, southwestern Seoul.
Actress Lee Bo-young, star of KBS drama “My Daughter Seoyoung,” gathered with other cast members from upcoming SBS drama “I Hear Your Voice” to promote the new work on Wednesday.
The drama, which will start its run for 16 episodes Wednesday, features pro bono lawyer Jang Hye-sung, played by Lee, and mindreader Park Su-ha, played by Lee Jong-suk. Cha Gwan-wu, played by Yoon Sang-hyun, is known for his good manners. |
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May 31, 2013
Park Chan-wook short invited to Edinburgh
By Lee Hyun-jeong The Korea Herald
A short film co-directed by Park Chan-wook and his brother Park Chan-kyong, “Day Trip (Cheongchul-eoram),” has been invited to the 67th Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), one of the oldest running film festivals in the world.
The movie, showcased in December 2012, will be screened as part of “Focus on Korea,” a special section that offers an opportunity to explore Korean movies. This is Park’s second time to show in Edinburgh after the movie “Oldboy” in 2004.
Park Chan-wook. (The Korea Herald file photo)
The 18-minute short features a special day between a master of pansori, Korean traditional vocal and percussion music, and his student. Taking place on Namsan Mountain in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the film highlights the harmony of nature and Korean folk music. Song Kang-ho, who starred as a vampire priest in Park’s 2009 “Thirst,” plays a stubborn pansori master in the film. Jeon Hyo-sung, a 15-year-old actress who is also a pansori student, takes on the role of the master’s student.
“Day Trip” was originally released online last December as part of a movie project marking the 40th anniversary of Kolon Sport, an outdoor clothing brand.
EIFF will show 146 films from 53 countries including 14 world premieres, six international premieres and 10 European premieres. The festival this year will highlight films from Korea in a special section titled, “Focus on Korea,” screening movies ranging from mainstream commercial films to independent cinema. Featured films include, “Jiseul,” “National Security(Namyeong-dong 1985),” “Pluto (Myeongwangseong),” “The Berlin File,” and “Virgin Forest (Wonsirim).”
Within the festival, there are two small competition categories. Of those, Bong Joon-ho, the director of “Host” will head the International Feature Film Competition Jury and choose the best film with actress Natalie Dormer and film critic Siobhan Synnot. One Korean movie, “Juvenile Offender (Beomjoe Sonyeon)” is a candidate for the competition.
Swedish movies will also be highlighted at “Focus on Sweden” and new works by American independent directors will be screened at “American Dream.”
Edinburgh International Film Festival will be held from June 19 to 30. |
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June 1. 2013
Cho Yong-pil Among 4 Koreans on Forbes' List of Top Philanthropists
The Chosun Ilbo
Cho Yong-pil (left) and Lee Gil-ya
Singer Cho Yong-pil has been named on Forbes' 48 Heroes of Philanthropy list.
Forbes announced the most generous givers in the Asia-Pacific region on Wednesday, with four people from each of 12 countries selected.
Actor Shin Young-kyun, Moon Tae-sik, honorary chairman of the Aju Group, and Lee Gil-ya, president of the Gachon Gil Foundation, were the other Koreans on the list.
Cho made a charitable donation of W2.4 billion (US$1=W1,129) to help children suffering from heart disease in 2003, using the money his wife left when she died of a heart attack. Since then, he has continued helping sick children and poor students.
Lee donated W20 billion to Gachon Medical School, which she founded. She said the contribution is aimed at making it one of the country's top 10 private universities. |
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June 1, 2013
Kim Hye-soo's Latest Soap 'a Microcosm of Society'
The Chosun Ilbo
The KBS TV drama "Queen of the Office," which recently wrapped up, drew high viewer ratings with its sympathetic portrayal of the lives of salaried workers.
Actress Kim Hye-soo, who spent the last several months playing the role of "Miss Kim," said, "She's not the just the larger-than-life character you usually see in soaps, who has extraordinary skills that make anything possible."
"The plot also deals with heavier issues like discrimination, unfairness or inequality in the workplace, but it portrays them with a sense of levity, even in a sarcastic way, and delivers subtle messages about work and life within the rigid framework of a hierarchical work environment."
"On the surface, the soap deals with ordinary office workers and their lives, but in fact it holds lessons for all of us," she added.
Kim said she plans to take a break before diving into her next project.
"If I don't find something that's really appealing, I could take some time for myself. But if a project grabs my fancy, I could also jump straight into it," she said. "It doesn't matter whether it's a starring or supporting role." |
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June 2, 3013
Share of Korean films hits over 3-year low
YonhapNews
SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- With the onslaught of Hollywood blockbusters, the share of Korean films in the local movie market fell to its lowest level in more than three years, data showed Sunday.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), which tracks official box-office figures, Korean films attracted 4.33 million moviegoers last month, accounting for 30.5 percent of the total audience.
The ratio is the lowest since 28.9 percent was recorded in December 2009, and also represents a decline from 39.8 percent the previous month.
Compared to a year earlier, the number of moviegoers for Korean films dipped 35.77 percentage points from 6.75 million, the data showed.
The plunge is drawing keen attention as the percentage hovered around 60 to 70 percent last year and surged to 82.9 percent in February this year.
Hollywood action films and the lack of interest in homegrown films are attributable to such a decline, according to experts.
In the monthly box-office tallies for May, "Iron Man 3," the latest in the superhero trilogy, was at No. 1, attracting 41.7 percent of the total moviegoing public.
A local thriller titled "Montage" was a distant second with 11.4 percent of the market share, closely followed by "The Great Gatsby" and "Fast & Furious 6," according to the KOFIC.
With more blockbuster movies from Hollywood expected to come here soon, local films will continue to struggle to attract viewers, experts say.
On the first day of their releases on Saturday, "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "After Earth" dominated the local film market. More megaflicks such as "Man of Steel" and "World War Z" will reach the public in June. |
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June 2, 2013
Young lawmakers in bipartisan experiment
By Jun Ji-hye The Korea Times
From Left: Rep. Kim Sang-min, Rep. Kim Kwang-jin
Love crosses borders but can it cross ideologies?
A TV drama featured a plot line that shows that even politicians with different ideologies from rival parties can fall in love with each other.
In “All about My Romance,” the latest SBS TV series about first-term lawmakers, Kim Soo-young (Shin Ha-kyun) from a conservative party and Noh Min-young (Lee Min-jung) of a progressive party, the two eventually tied the knot in the last episode aired Wednesday.
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A poster for the SBS TV series “All about My Romance” about a romance between lawmakers Kim Soo-young played by actor Shin Ha-kyun, right, of a conservative party, and Noh Min-young played by actress Lee Min-jung of a progressive party Courtesy of SBS
They overcame a lot of difficulties caused by ideological differences. Through the somewhat unrealistic love story, the series apparently wanted to drive home the point that notwithstanding the ideological differences between progressives and conservatives, there is a point where that can be overcome.
True to this, some politicians are currently engaged in a similar experiment to produce a bipartisan cooperation that goes beyond ideological differences.
Recently, six young first-term lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) launched a monthly meeting dubbed “Open Up the Future Together” to pursue bipartisan efforts to handle matters related to the youth.
The six are: Kim Sang-min, Jasmine Lee, and Lee Jae-young from the ruling party, and Kim Kwang-jin, Park Hong-keun and Chyun Ho-joon from the DP.
They are united in their belief that the need to improve people’s livelihoods supersedes ideological factionalism.
“There are differences between conservatives and progressives in terms of way of thinking, but, more importantly, we have the same task to improve national interest and people’s welfare. There is no doubt that bipartisan efforts are needed to solve problems facing young people including unemployment or expensive university tuition fees,” said Saenuri Party’s Kim Sang-min in an interview.
The 39-year-old said young legislators all expressed sympathy with the issue, which culminated into them coming out with this initiative.
“We officially meet once a month. We often have unofficial meetings as well to debate on the subject,” he said. “We also plan to jointly propose bills on youth matters and political renovation as we get together with one common agenda.”
DP’s Kim Kwang-jin, 32, the youngest among the members, said the problems the nation now faces generally goes beyond party lines.
“There could be differences in positions that the two factions would take, but solutions to resolve such issues as youth unemployment, education and housing problems are virtually the same. It’s because the ultimate goal that all parties pursue is to make people happy,” he said. “We also all agreed that young politicians should play a role in breaking down bad customs in the political scene.”
The liberal lawmaker is single. When asked an impish question_ whether he can fall in love or get married with a female lawmaker from a rival party like Kim Soo-young did in the drama, his answer was: “No.”
“If I were an ordinary citizen, occasional differences in political opinion would never be a big matter. But I am in a somewhat different position because I have chosen to be a politician. I would not be able to appeal to the public for support, if my wife does not completely agree with me.”
Ruling party’s Kim Sang-min cited such sensitive issues as the abolishment of the National Security Law, which bans pro-North Korean dialogue or activities, as one example in which the two parties still differ.
The members held a joint press conference last week and pledged to spare no bipartisan efforts to ease youth unemployment and nurture young talents.
“As the first step, we plan to propose a bill soon to make it obligatory for parties to use 5 percent of their state subsidies for young people,” they said in a statement. |
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June 2, 2013
Wheesung denies drug abuse report
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Lawyers for singer Wheesung said yesterday that he did not abuse propofol, but injected the anesthetic for medical purposes. The official statement came on the same day as local media exclusively reported that Wheesung will be the target of an investigation by the Chuncheon Prosecutor’s Office into whether he regularly abused the substance.
“Many of the medical experts have filed opinion papers that Wheesung’s injecting propofol is not illegal,” said his law firm, denying the first report. “Wheesung said that he would voluntarily walk into [the prosecutor’s office] and explain the misunderstanding, but we stopped him.”
The singer, who began his military service in November 2011, had been receiving rehabilitation treatment as he suffered from habitual dislocation of his shoulder. Because he insisted on serving his military duties at a military base, he started his service, but he collapsed during training in February, which required him to receive further treatment. He is slated to be discharged from the military in August. |
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June 2, 2013
Baek wants son that looks like Jung
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily
Baek Ji-young wishes she could live with two Jung Suk-wons.
The singer, 37, tied the knot with the 28-year-old actor at the Sheraton Grand Walker Hill Hotel in northeastern Seoul Sunday afternoon. In a pre-wedding press conference, Baek said that she would like to have a son that looks like Jung.
“I don’t know the gender, but I wish it were a son that resembles Jung Suk-won,” Baek said, referring to their baby she has been carrying for three months. “We are planning to have three or so children.”
Baek, who disappeared after the leakage of her sex video in 2000, beat the odds and made a successful comeback, having released six albums since then. She has dated Jung since 2011 and announced their wedding plans last month.
Many of her fellow singers congratulated them, with Kim Sung-soo and DJ DOC serving as emcees for the wedding and Sung Si-kyung and Kim Bum-soo singing congratulatory songs.
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June 3, 2013
Singer Jang accuses netizen of slander
By Yoon Min-sik The Korea Herald
Singer Jang Yoon-jeong, who is embroiled in a money dispute with her mother and brother, has filed a complaint against an operator of her Internet fan website for allegedly posting slanderous comments about her, police said Monday.
South Incheon-dong Police Station said it recently summoned a website operator for posting malign comments about the singer. Some 29 posts written by the operator were related to Jang’s family.
“I just posted what I heard from Jang’s mother, whom I’ve been acquainted with while operating the fan website,” the accused told the police.
Jang reported the person to the police on May 20 for defamation.
The 33-year-old singer claimed last month that her mother and her brother had squandered all of her money on a business that is still run by her brother. The family spat intensified after Jang’s estranged family members appeared on TV last week and denied the rumors while accusing the singer of attempting to put her sane mother in a psychiatric hospital. |
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June 3, 2013
Jang Geun-suk’s project group ‘Team-H’ to fire up U.S
Jin Eun-soo, Intern Reporter The Korea Herald
South Korean singer and actor Jang Geun-suk and his project team “Team H” confirmed their concerts to be held in the United States in June.
Team H, including Jang and his music partner Big Brother, will perform in Los Angeles Sports Arena and HP Pavilion at San Jose near San Francisco on June 22 and 28, respectively.
Ticket are available at www.ticketmaster.com, which opened sales on Monday.
Last year, the team held concerts in four major cities in Japan, and then toured Shanghai, Taiwan and Thailand with the performance titled “Team-H Party -- I Just Wanna Have Fun,” drawing positive response from local fans.
”Jang‘s musical talent had been recognized by many global musicians when he attended last year’s music festivals UMF Korea and Summer Sonic,” said his agency.
As Jang’s latest album “Nature Boy,” released on May 29, is sweeping the Oricon Chart in Japan, his project team’s planned debut in the U.S. is heightening expectations among his fans outside of Korea. |
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June 3, 2013
Baek Ji-young, Jung Suk-won Exchange Wedding Vows
The Chosun Ilbo
Jung Suk-won (left) and Baek Ji-young pose before their wedding in Seoul on Sunday.
Singer Baek Ji-young and actor Jung Suk-won got married at a hotel in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul on Sunday.
At a press event before their wedding, Baek said she is confident she has met her Mr. Right and that spending the rest of her life with Jung is the right choice, even though their nine-year age gap has caused quite a stir.
She described him as someone who she can lean on, like a friend or sometimes like a father figure.
Already three months into her pregnancy, she said she hopes to give birth to a baby boy who looks like Jung. |
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