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June 17, 2013
Filmmakers urge removal of ban on Kim Ki-duk's new film
YonhapNews
SEOUL, June 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean filmmakers called on a government ratings' agency to lift an effective ban on the screening in the country of director Kim Ki-duk's latest film about incest.
"Moebius" received a "restricted screening" rating at the Korea Media Ratings Board (KMRB) on June 1 for including content "harmful to youth" as well as "unethical and unsocial" expressions.
The movie tells the story of a man who is raised up in a family destroyed by the father's affair and renounces the world.
Films classified for "restricted screening" can only be seen at theaters dedicated only to such films. Since South Korea does not have a single theater of that kind, the decision means Kim's new film cannot be shown in his home country.
The move sparked controversy as Kim was the local industry's favored son last year following a historic win of Venice's Golden Lion prize for his film "Pieta."
The decision "is nothing but a ban on the film from being shown to local moviegoers," said the Directors' Guild of Korea, an industry association representing the interests of movie directors. "It's like a death sentence for the film."
The government agency should not deprive the Korean audience of its chance to see "Moebius" and make their own judgment about the film, the guild said.
The decision came less than a month after the Seoul Administrative Court ordered the "restricted rating" on a local feature film titled "Jagadangchak (Antilogy)" to be removed.
Kim said last week he has sent a letter of opinion asking the agency to reconsider the decision on June 5.
"As a filmmaker, it was inevitable to use incest as a motif of the film," he said in the letter. The scenes in question "are not focusing on the mother-son sexual intercourse but the relationship between parents," he explained.
"I think Korean adults should be given a chance to make their own judgment of my film." |
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June 17, 2013
Super Junior wows Hong Kong fans
The Korea Times
K-pop sensation Super Junior successfully completed its “Super Show5” dates, from June 15-16 at Hong Kong’s World Expo Arena, the band’s agency SM Entertainment said Monday.
The group dazzled 24,000 fans that ranged from teens to those in their 30s and 40s, performing some 25 songs including “Sorry Sorry,” “Mr. Simple” and the most recent single “Sexy, Free & Single.”
It was the group’s first visit to Hong Kong, following the “Super Show2” held in 2009 in Hong Kong. Fans held up “Thank You for Coming” placards written in Korean, said SM Entertainment.
From Hong Kong, Super Junior will move on to Singapore for their “Super Show5,” where the members will perform on July 5 at Singapore’s Indoor Stadium. |
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June 17, 2013
New face of Korean drama
Yoo Ah-in steals show in SBS 'Jang Ok-Jung, Living by Love'
By Do Je-hae The Korea Times
Yoo Ah-in in a scene from “Jang Ok Jung, Living by Love”
/ Korea Times file
When broadcaster SBS cast Kim Tae-hee in its latest historical drama series, viewers wondered how this superstar actress with zero period piece experience would portray the most infamous royal concubine during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).
One of the prettiest faces on Korean TV, Kim is not known for her acting skills. While she does have sporadic moments of brilliance in “Jang Ok Jung, Living by Love,” it is Yoo Ah-in who is stealing the show with a charismatic portrayal of King Sukjong.
Over the years, broadcasters and moviemakers have repeatedly used the romance between Jang Ok-jung and King Sukjong. Viewers will not have a hard time remembering the women who have played Jang but the men that have played opposite Jang were largely forgotten. “Jang Ok Jung, Living by Love” is likely to be defined as the first TV adaptation of Jang Ok-jung where the role of King Sukjong outshines the female lead.
TV dramas and films covering the life of Jang have focused mainly on her ruthless plots to become queen that ultimately brought her a death sentence and portrayed the King as a powerless personality unable to make clear decisions in private life or in politics.
Yoo is stealing the spotlight on a show that was supposed to belong to
Kim Tae-hee, his female counterpart. / Korea Times file
But in “Living by Love,” which premiered in April, Yoo has sought to break away from the stereotypes surrounding the king, and seems to have pleased the audience and the press with this unconventional approach.
In the last few weeks, Yoo has garnered favorable press reviews for his versatile acting skills unlike Kim, who is six years Yoo’s senior.
The 27-year-old actor has called the role of King Sukjong one of the biggest challenges of his career. This is his third historical drama or “sageuk” after “Chilwoo the Mighty” in 2008 and the hugely popular “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” in 2010.
“I think people had doubts about my ability to play the part of a strong sovereign. Choosing this character was a big challenge for me,” Yoo told reporters ahead of filming in early April. “I will try to show what was going on inside the mind of the king as he dealt with political conflicts and transformed into a powerful monarch.”
The director, Boo Sung-chul described Yoo as a “a fine actor who has the perfect look for the part and delivers his lines with exactly the right tone.”
Yoo’s acting comes alive particularly in scenes showing him as a skilled politician, outsmarting opposing factions to attain political objectives.
What is special about his performance is how he seems to show his emotions in an unexpected manner. When he is enraged by an assassination plot, for example, he expresses it not with an angry outburst but more with a careful stare and a soft, yet poignant speech.
King Sukjong, who had a lengthy reign from 1674 to 1720, was the 19th ruler of Joseon. His reign was marked by some of the most intense factional fights in its history, some of which are shown in the drama.
Yoo, a Daegu native who dropped out of high school to pursue acting, has built an impressive resume as an actor in both TV and film since his debut in 2003. His breakthrough big-screen lead role was in the coming-of-age film “Punch,” a box-office success in 2011. His next film “Kkangcheori” will be released in July.
His mature performance in Living by Love will likely boost his status as one of the most promising film stars of his generation, along with actors Song Joong-ki and Kim Soo-hyun. “In the next 10 years, he will be one of the biggest names in Korean cinema,” Kim Yoon-seok, a Punch co-star, said during a TV interview.
The drama runs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. for 24 episodes. Given the popularity of sageuk among foreign fans of Korean dramas, Living by Love is already available on YouTube with English subtitles. |
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June 17, 2013
Chinese Film Festival Brings Raft of Highly Anticipated Flicks
The Chosun Ilbo
The fifth edition of the Chinese Film Festival got underway on Sunday and will run concurrently in Seoul and Busan until Thursday. None of the 11 movies on the program have been released here yet.
The opening and closing films represent fruitful collaborations of Chinese and Korean talent. Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai’s curtain-raising "The Grandmaster" features top Chinese stars Zhang Ziyi and Tony Leung, as well as Korean actress Song Hye-kyo. Later, the festival will wrap up with "A Wedding Invitation," directed by Korea's Oh Ki-hwan and featuring China's Bai Baihe and Eddie Peng.
From left, director Wong Kar-wai and actors Zhang Ziyi, Song Hye-kyo and Tony Leung greet fans at the Chinese Film Festival in Yeouido, Seoul on Sunday. /Newsis
Other highly anticipated movies to be screened include Chen Kaige's "Caught in the Web" and "Ocean Heaven" starring Jet Li.
The Chinese film festival was launched by Korean film and entertainment giant CJ E&M in 2006 in Korea. A second edition was held in 2007. In 2008, a reciprocal version was launched in China in collaboration with China's State General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television. Since then, the two have been held on alternate years.
For more information, please call 1544-1122 or log on to http://cff2013.interest.me. |
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June 17, 2013
"Doctor" star talks role, showcases guitar
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Singer and actor Kim Chang-wan smiles as he played guitar on Friday at a caf?in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul.[NEWSIS]
Singer and actor Kim Chang-wan posed for photos before his media interview on Friday at a café in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul.
He plays a plastic surgeon named Choi In-beom in upcoming horror movie “Doctor,” which is scheduled to be released in local theaters Thursday. |
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June 17, 2013
Lee Sang-yoon meets and greets at Quiznos
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Lee Sang-yoon picks up a sandwich at a Quiznos location in Seorae Village, southern Seoul, on Saturday at a signing event for his fans.[NEWSIS]
Actor Lee Sang-yoon of KBS drama “My Daughter, Seoyoung” held a signing event for his fans at a Quiznos location in Seorae Village in southern Seoul on Saturday.
He also participated in making a sandwich and eating it with fans.
Actor Lee Sang-yoon gives an autograph to a fan at a Quiznos location in Seorae Village, southern Seoul, on Saturday at a signing event for his fans.[NEWSIS]
Lee Sang-yoon, star of KBS drama “My Daughter, Seoyoung,” poses for a camera showing his autograph in Seorae Village, southern Seoul, at a signing event for his fans on Saturday.[NEWSIS] |
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June 17, 2013
Simon D and Lady Jane split after 6 years
By Choi In-jeong The Korea Herald
Rapper Simon D of Supreme Team and his girlfriend and singer Lady Jane have broken up after six years together, Simon D’s agency said.
“They broke up about a month ago and now they stay as friends and coworkers,” the agency said.
Sources said the busy schedules of the two musicians were the reason behind the break-up.
They started dating in October 2007 and Simon D revealed their relationship in December 2009 on SBS music program “Kim Jung-eun’s Chocolate.” |
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June 19, 2013
Kangta to appear on TV program
The Korea Times
Kangta, a former member of K-pop group H.O.T, will appear as a fixed character in an entertainment program titled “Living Alone” airing on MBC.
Kangta, whose real name is Ahn Chil-hyeon, will join fellow characters such as Noh Hong-chul and musician Kim Tae-won. The show about men living alone airs at 11: 30 p.m. on Friday. Producers of “Living Alone” said that they had been thinking of injecting the former H.O.T member since the beginning of the program.
Fans will be glad to know that Kangta will reveal his residence in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul.
The 33-year-old has remained active with solo activities including serving as a judge for “Voice Korea” season 2. But his appearance on “Living Alone” will be the first on the entertainment program for 17 years after debuting with the first-generation K-pop group H.O.T. The group debuted in 1996, and produced numerous hits such as “Candy” and “We are the Future” before disbanding in 2000. |
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June 19, 2013
YG will launch a new girl group
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
In the wake of a comeback for its trademark group 2NE1, YG Entertainment announced plans for a new girl group that will debut in October.
“This will be the first new girl group in four years since the debut of 2NE1 in 2009,” Yang Hyun- suk wrote on the agency’s blog.
“The average age of new members is 17, and [they] are fluent in a number of foreign languages so that we can expect them to have more overseas engagements.”
He did not provide detailed information about each girl but did mention that six potential members remain from the original 10 in the running, including Kim Eun-bi, a contestant from “Superstar K” on cable channel Mnet.
The group will not follow the typical path of gaining fame before individual members go out on their own.
“We will take a different model with this new group as we will have one or two members make solo debuts to gain approval from the public step by step,” Yang said. “It is the opposite of what Big Bang did by debuting as a team and then moving to each member carrying out individual promotions.”
Daesung recently completed his first solo tour in Japan on Tuesday in Yokohama after traveling to 20 cities there.
Yang added that he is currently in Japan with Akdong Musician and Lee Hi, and hinted that he will soon provide an update on the former “K-pop Star” contestants. “I arranged a trip so that I could get to know them better,” he said. Akdong Musician recently told the press that they were having a hard time getting to know Lee Hi despite having “K-pop Star” in common.
The agency also recently signed Kang Seung-yoon, who competed on “Superstar K.”
It is expected to announce further details about his debut today. |
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June 19, 2013
Kangta will join MBC's '‘I Live Alone'
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Kangta, who was a member of the boy band H.O.T, will join the MBC entertainment show “I Live Alone,” according to his agency SM Entertainment yesterday.
This is the first time in 17 years that the singer will become a regular member of an entertainment show.
He previously focused on building his name in the music industry and composing songs. His big break on television was his role as a judge on the singing-survival program “The Voice of Korea” last year. Contestant Lee Ye-jun, whom Kangta coached, won the competition.
“We have been eyeing Kangta since the launch of the program,” said the production team at MBC. “We decided to have him join the show now as there will be some new characters added to the original cast.”
Kangta also had to open his personal home in Samseong-dong, southern Seoul, to cameras as his everyday life will be part of the entertainment.
“As this is the first time that Kangta will show his home on television, fans will get a chance to see his down-to-earth persona rather than his polished star personality,” the production team said. |
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June 19, 2013
Park Ji-sung caught with a new girl
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Kim Min-ji and Park Ji-sung
Despite rumors that he would marry actress Kim Sa-rang of MBC drama “Secret Garden,” footballer Park Ji-sung was caught on a date with SBS announcer Kim Min-ji Tuesday night.
Park was seen during his date with Kim on Tuesday night when Korea was playing Iran in the final qualifying match for the World Cup next year.
Park picked Kim up from work at SBS in Mok-dong, southwestern Seoul, and headed to Hangang Park with a bucket of take-out chicken, according to local media.
Despite the rain, the two sat on a bench and watched the football match on a smartphone. Photographs show the two holding hands.
They later moved to a cafe in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, ignoring the attention from others.
Soon after reports about the date surfaced in the press, Park’s agency JS Limited announced that Park would have a press conference regarding the issue today, according to Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.
The agency refrained from commenting further but said details will be shared later.
Park had originally planned a press conference to give local fans an update on his career plans, but recent events changed the focus and pushed the event earlier on his schedule.
Kim Min-ji specializes in presenting sports news and has shown interest in Park’s career with the Queens Park Rangers.
She tweeted a photo of herself holding a ticket to a QPR game in London in January, saying she attended alone.
Another photo shows Kim wearing a jersey bearing Park’s name and number in April.
There have also been rumors that Park has been involved with actresses Bae Doo-na and Kim Sa-rang.
It is widely known that Park’s father said he would not approve a marriage to a celebrity. |
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June 19, 2013
A new start
Korea JoongAng Daily
A new start --Girl group Dal Shabet performs “Look At My Legs” at a showcase for its new album “Be Ambitious” in southern Seoul yesterday. [NEWSIS] |
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June 19, 2013
Filmmakers in conflict with movie-rating organization
Korea Media Rating Board hit for 'practically banning' target audience from watching acclaimed directors' work
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
Famed Korean director Kim Ki-duk and teacher-turned-filmmaker Shin Su-won are struggling against the state’s film-rating system after being given restricted ratings for their latest works.
Earlier this week, filmmakers asked the Korea Media Rating Board to lift the ban on the screening of director Kim’s upcoming film which deals with incest. They also asked the agency’s director, Park Sunny, to resign from her position.
The filmmakers’ public call came after Kim’s film, titled “Moebius,” received a “restricted screening” rating from the KMRB on June 1, for its subject matter ― especially for scenes that depict incestuous sexual encounters between a mother and her son. With the rating, the film can only be shown in “special theater” venues ― which are practically nonexistent in the country.
The official poster for director Kim Ki-duk’s “Moebius” (Kim Ki-duk Film)
“This is practically a death sentence for a movie,” said the Directors’ Guild of Korea, an organization representing local movie directors with Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and Choi Dong-hun among its members.
“So is KMRB asking the local Korean audience to go overseas if they want to see this film?”
Director Kim sent a letter to the press on Tuesday saying he cut the incest scenes in the film and was submitting it again to the agency.
“I cut one minute and 40 seconds of the film to meet KMRB’s requirements,” he wrote in the letter.
“I would like to meet the already-set release date of this film ― even if it requires me to delete the scenes ― because if I don’t, then my crew and cast would very likely lose their share of the movie.”
Kim also mentioned the case of his 2011 Cannes-winning film “Arirang,” which was never released in local theaters but was widely illegally downloaded online.
Meanwhile, filmmaker Shin Su-won recently opposed the KMRB’s decision to ban her latest movie “Pluto” for teenagers. The movie, which was awarded Special Mention at this year’s Berlinale, is a disturbing yet engrossing thriller set in an elite Korean high school that deals with murder and bullying as well as extreme competition for success.
A scene from director Shin Su-won’s film “Pluto” (SH Film)
The rating agency said they decided to ban the movie for teenagers as its raw depiction of violence could be imitated by teens. According to director Shin, the movie received a rating that allowed anyone who is 14 years of age or older to view it at this year’s Berlinale.
Shin, who used to work as a middle school teacher before turning to filmmaking, expressed in a press release last week her disappointment over the agency’s decision.
“The director of Berlinale’s section which included ‘Pluto’ said they invited this movie so teenagers can think seriously about their future,” she said. “Does the KMRB think that Korean teenagers don’t have the sense of judgment ones in Europe do?”
The agency last year caused controversy by being the first in the world to restrict American pop singer Lady Gaga’s Seoul concert to over-18s, on grounds that one of Gaga’s songs promoted “inappropriate behavior” for minors.
Last month, the Seoul Administrative Court ordered the “restricted rating” for a film titled “Antilogy” to be removed. The KMRB had given the film, which includes scenes mocking former President Lee Myung-bak and current President Park Geun-hye, the rating for its “insulting and disturbing” and “violent“ scenes. |
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June 20, 2013
Footballer Park Ji-sung admits to dating TV announcer
The Korea Herald
South Korean football star Park Ji-sung on Thursday admitted to dating a local television personality, giving the public a rare peek into his personal life.
At a press conference in his hometown of Suwon, south of Seoul, the 32-year-old said he has been dating announcer Kim Min-ji, 27, since the beginning of this summer.
This was Park's first public appearance since photos were published by an online newspaper on Wednesday showing him and Kim out on a date in Seoul.
Park, the midfielder for Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in the English Premier League, said he first met Kim in 2011.
"We were only friends at first, but the longer we stayed in touch, I found her to be an understanding person," Park said. "No matter what people say, she is the most lovable woman to me."
Kim joined the local network SBS in 2010. She co-hosts a weekly football highlight program with fellow announcer Bae Sung-jae.
According to Park, Bae introduced Kim to his father, Park Sung-jong, who in turn suggested the player and the announcer meet.
Park's love life has long been a subject of intense speculation. As one of the nation's most highly visible bachelors, Park has been linked to actresses and, most recently, a former beauty pageant winner.
Park said even though he is committed to his relationship with Kim, he has no immediate plan to tie the knot with her, denying rumors that they will get married in July.
"Those talks are groundless," he said. "I have to prepare for the new season in July and unless I retire from the sport, I will never get married in July."
Park is known as a guarded, private individual who doesn't give many media interviews outside football stadiums.
Park, the first South Korean to play in the English Premier League, is considered one of the country's all-time great footballers.
He made his professional debut with Kyoto Purple Sanga in Japan in 2000 and played there for three seasons. After starring for South Korea at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Park switched over to PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, coached by the South Korean national team bench boss, Guus Hiddink.
In 2005, Park signed with Manchester United and enjoyed the best seven-year stretch of his professional career, winning four Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League crown.
He left Manchester United to sign with another Premier League side, Queens Park Rangers (QPR), before the 2012-2013 season. Park opened his first season with the new team as captain but endured perhaps the most disappointing season of his professional career, as QPR was relegated to the second division Football League Championship for next season.
One of eight South Koreans to have played at least 100 international matches, Park played and scored in three straight World Cups. He retired from international play in January 2011.
After South Korea barely qualified for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, there have been increasing calls for Park's return to the national team for next year. On Thursday, Park said he hasn't thought about that possibility and added the national team has always overcome adversity in the past. (Yonhap News) |
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June 19, 2013
Park Ji-sung spotted on date with SBS announcer: report
By Chun Sung-woo The Korea Herald
Korean football star Park Ji-sung, who plays for Queens Park Rangers in the English league, was spotted enjoying a date with SBS announcer Kim Min-ji on Tuesday night.
Sports Seoul, a local sports daily, ran 10 photographs of their date on its website Wednesday.
Park Ji-sung (left) and Kim Min-ji. (Yonhap News)
The photos show Park and Kim together at Hangang Riverside Park. In one of them, they are sitting on a bench side by side and watching the FIFA World Cup qualifier between Korea and Iran on a mobile phone together.
Kim’s mother, Oh Myung-hee, a professor at the University of Suwon, confirmed their relationship, Yonhap News Agency reported Wednesday.
“Recently I was told by my daughter that she is dating Park,” Oh told Yonhap. “My family has not met with Park’s family yet. It is Park and Kim who will progress their marriage.” Such a meeting is the first formal procedure for them to get married.
The 32-year-old soccer player, who founded the JS Foundation, is scheduled to hold a news conference on his future in Suwon on Thursday shortly after a ceremony awarding sponsorships to talented students selected by the foundation.
Park joined Manchester United in 2005 and moved to QPR last year after playing for seven years at the famous club.
The 28-year-old Kim graduated from Ewha Womans University and joined SBS as an announcer in 2010. She presents “Football Magazine Goal!” and a few other shows. |
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