Korean Entertainment News 2012 - 2013

katt

June 25, 2013

Han Go-eun denies rumors

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



Actress Han Go-eun has denied rumors of a relationship with a military doctor who is seven years younger.

Local media reported about the potential romance yesterday.

Her agency denied the reports, insisting that it would confirm the speculation if it were actually true. Instead, the doctor is said to be a close acquaintance.

Han posted a photo with the military doctor on KakaoStory with a caption that says “It hasn’t been so long, but miss you,” according to local media.

The mysterious man is known as a 32-year-old surnamed Yang whose brother is also a doctor. The brother has made a number of appearances on television programs as a medical expert.

Meanwhile, Han will return to television next month in the MBC period drama “Goddess of Fire Jung Yi.”

katt

June 25, 2013

Han Hye-jin talks romance

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily



Actress Han Hye-jin has unveiled that she and Naul of Brown Eyed Soul broke up last summer, months before she started dating footballer Ki Sung-yeong.

“I haven’t seen him since last summer, and even before that, we were living [separate lives],” Han said on SBS talk show “Healing Camp” on Monday. “Close friends knew that the relationship was over.”

She is currently a host of the show but came on as a guest for a special program as she will be stepping down from her position soon.

She said that she avoided making any comments on her failed relationship because she didn’t want to negatively impact the film she needed to promote.

“At the moment [of the breakup], I was filming a movie, so I refrained from making the news official, but then reports started spreading in early December,” Han said.

About Naul making an appearance at the funeral of her father in November, she said he might have felt the need to come as he was already aware of her father’s illness.

“I dated him for a long time and I felt very thankful about that,” Han said.

She then moved on to the start of her new romance after her father’s funeral,

Ki made a call to Han afterward, and she recalled that the flowers sent by the footballer were especially impressive.

In the prerecorded video message, Ki said he felt sad when he spotted Han falling asleep during the filming of a show he attended as a guest in August.

He also said that he regrets asking for her advice when he had relationship problems before he fell for her as she now makes fun of him for those incidents.

Then Ki showed up during the show in person holding a rose. He said “I love you” as he walked toward his fiance. Han showed tears of joy from his surprise visit.

Han and Ki participated in a wedding photo shoot on Monday, according to Han’s agency yesterday. It occurred just a week before their wedding on July 1 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Samseong-dong in southern Seoul.

The agency said that the couple will have a home in Seorae Village, southern Seoul, and another in the United Kingdom as Ki plays for Swansea City of the Premier League.

katt

June 26, 2013

'Entertainment soldiers' spotted at massage parlor

The Korea Herald


A screen grab from "Hyeonjang 21" (SBS)

South Korean celebrities fulfilling their mandatory military service were recently spotted at a local massage parlor, sparking a backlash from the public over whether so-called “entertainment soldiers” enjoy too many privileges.

According to “Hyeonjang 21 (On the spot 21), an investigative TV program by SBS, two celebrity soldiers were spotted last Saturday at a massage parlor in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Massage parlors in Korea are viewed as seedy, as many of them are known to offer sexual services.

The two soldiers were spotted exiting the parlor after midnight. When the production crew of “Hyeonjan” approached them, they attempted to take the microphone away from the crew. One of the soldiers told the staff that he “did not drink a drop of alcohol,” and swore he did not do anything illegal.

An official from the Defense Media Agency said the soldiers in question had visited the massage parlor to get treatment.

Talk of favoritism concerning the soldiers, assigned to a unit that provides programming for TV and radio broadcasts to promote the military, swarmed the Internet Wednesday morning.

“Regular soldiers are on duty day and night, and they (entertainment soldiers) are allowed to drink and go to massage parlors?” complained one Internet user.

katt

June 26, 2013

Cruel reality behind Korean dramas
B-list actors, shooting crew suffer from poor treatment and exploitation

By Park Si-soo The Korea Times


A group of actors in supporting roles appear in a TV drama. Actors playing leading roles have earn ed international fame and massive wealth thanks to growing overseas demand for Korean dramas, but numerous supporting actors and film crew members still wrestle with poor salaries and working
conditions. /  Korea Times file

Korean TV drama is making headway in building a global fan base.

“Jewel in the Palace” from the country’s second largest broadcaster MBC hit the jackpot in Japan, China and Middle East nations, while “Boys Over Flower,” “Dream High” and several others produced by the biggest TV station KBS were recently exported to Mexico, Panama and Latin American countries.

This has led to a steep income increase for A-list actors who normally play leading roles. Yet behind their beaming smile and red-carpet treatment are the notoriously poor salaries and working conditions facing supporting actors and film crew.

In addition, they easily become targets of exploitation by smaller independent drama producers who, on a tight budget, do virtually everything for big broadcasters. Nearly 80 percent of Korean TV dramas are made by independent production companies.

Overdue payment

The latest event offering a glimpse of the grim reality took place on June 19 in Seoul, when a group of actors who worked on the MBC drama “My Sons” stood before journalists to complain about their unpaid salaries.

“The drama went off air in March. But there are still many actors who have not yet been fully paid,” said Han Young-soo, president of the Korea Broadcasting Actors Union (KBAU) representing nearly 5,000 actors and comedians. “The unpaid salaries are estimated at 703 million ($607,000).”

Actor Ryu Soo-young who played a leading role in the drama received his payment in advance. But many others who played supporting roles, including actor Kim Yong-gun, and actresses Na Moon-hee and Myung Se-bin, are still waiting for a large portion of their guaranteed payment.


Extras wearing military uniforms from hundreds of years ago dozing off at a drama shooting site. / Korea Times file

This incident took place as the head of To Be Enterprise, an independent producer of the drama, disappeared without paying salaries. His whereabouts are still unaccounted for. Amid the controversy, MBC has committed to pay 90 percent of the overdue payments.

“Nearly half of the budget for the drama was spent to cast a couple of actors playing leading roles,” said a KBAU official familiar with the case. “My understanding is that in this spending structure he (the boss) found it difficult to pay others so he fled.”

Actor Ryu echoed the view, saying the incident was largely due to “inflated” payments to big name actors and actresses.

“An independent drama producer starts shooting normally on a tight budget given by the broadcaster. A large portion of this is paid to a handful of leading actors,” Ryu said in a separate media briefing on the issue. “The producer usually needs extra money to fully compensate others. To that end, the firm sells the drama in various ways, but this is not always successful.”

The KBAU said the latest incident raised the cumulative amount of unpaid wages between 2009 and 2013 to 43 billion won.

By broadcaster, MBC takes the biggest portion of 1.78 billion won, followed by KBS with 1.59 billion won and the third largest broadcaster SBS with 920 million won.

Following the incident, KBS has mandated independent drama producers to subscribe to an insurance policy covering salaries up to 500 million won as part of efforts to prevent the recurrence of a similar incident. “This is a policy equally applied by MBC and SBS,” said Go Young-tak, head of the KBS drama department.

Exploitation

The film crew is another weak group under the current drama-making system.

Most of them, excluding some in decision-making positions, are placed at the bottom of the shooting site hierarchy so they are required to handle all kinds of tough works. They are exposed to higher risks of physical injury, but are paid the least.

Nevertheless, they have no legal right to unionize themselves to call for improved working conditions since they are hired on temporary contracts.

The annual income of a crew member is estimated at 6.4 million won ($5,500) on average as of 2009, according to the KBAU, the latest data available. It showed 74.2 percent of shooting crews work more than 13 hours a day, while only 1.3 percent work eight hours a day. Only 9.2 percent received overtime payment, the data showed.

“It’s truly reprehensible,” said Rep. Park Chang-sik of the ruling Saenuri Party, recollecting his experiences as a drama director at MBC and SBS in the 1990s. “Nearly 80 percent of people at the shooting site are temporary hires. Their salary is horribly low and working conditions, generally speaking, couldn’t be worse.”

The first-term lawmaker cited the “tight budget” as the biggest culprit behind what he described as “cruel” working conditions.

“Broadcasters want to make a drama for the least amount of money,” Park said. “With a large portion of the budget set to be paid to a handful of main actors, the only way to solve the problem is increasing the budget.”

The lawmaker is pushing to introduce a binding form of working contract for film crews, which guarantees wage and welfare that at least meet the legal minimum.

“The bill, which is in the making, stipulates a minimum wage, time limits for one-time shooting and basic welfare among others,” he said. A public hearing regarding the issue was held last month. He will improve the bill based on suggestions during the event to place it before the National Assembly in the near future.

A similar bill was put on the parliamentary table in 2010 by then lawmaker Cho Yoon-sun, who is the incumbent minister of gender equality and family. But it perished with the end of the 18th parliamentary session in May 2012.

katt

June 26, 2013

Entertainment soldier system may be retired

By Nam Hyun-woo The Korea Times


Seven (Choi Dong-uk)


Sangchoo (Lee Sang-cheol)

The government is considering abolishing the system that allows entertainers to serve in the military performing for active servicemen, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.

The move came after a TV program alleged two “entertainment soldiers” visited adult establishments while on duty.

“We plan to review the system of ‘National Defense Promotion Servicemen’ thoroughly from top to bottom,” a ministry official said.

The official said the ministry will question officers to check whether the program’s allegation was true or not. The investigation will take up to one week.

“If the allegations are true, the ministry will strictly punish them according to relevant regulations,” he added.

SBS TV’s investigative journal broadcast Tuesday that singer Seven (Choi Dong-uk, 29) and Sangchoo (Lee Sang-cheol, 31) visited a massage parlor, a place offering illicit sexual services, at around 3 a.m., on June 22.

According to the program, six entertainment servicemen, including the two, were on an official tour at a military base in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on June 21. After their performance, the soldiers went out to drink and eat at 10 p.m., the official curfew time they must obey.

They went back to a motel after a one-hour drinking-session, and the two sneaked out around 2:30 a.m. and visited the massage parlor.

According to the official, the basic principle of such servicemen’s accommodation is that they lodge in the barracks. But if they cannot, they are allowed to spend nights outside the barracks.

When reporters for the program asked whether they were entertainment soldiers, the two attempted to take away microphones and dodged questions.

In the program, a military official from the ministry said that it is “regretful” and explained Choi and Lee visited the parlor for “knee therapy.”

All able-bodied Korean men are subject to about two-year mandatory military service. And to promote soldiers’ morale, the military has been allowing celebrities to serve as entertainment soldiers touring bases.

The latest case of slack discipline among entertainers serving in the military came after nationwide criticism that celebrity soldiers were treated preferentially compared to ordinary conscripts, as top singer Rain (Jung Ji-hoon, 31) was embroiled in a controversy that he took leave too often to pursue a romance with top actress Kim Tae-hee in January.

After the love story surfaced, many critics complained that Jung was able to enjoy his private life while ordinary soldiers remained confined to their barracks. He then faced seven days of disciplinary action for having private contact while on official military duty.

The latest case fanned harsh criticism of all entertainers serving in the military.

A netizen said, “If ordinary conscripts committed the same offence, they would be dragged to a military court and face heavy punishments. It is outrageous that they forgot their position as military servicemen; but the ministry only protects them.”

katt

June 26, 2013

It’s showtime

Korea JoongAng Daily



Cast members of upcoming weekend drama “Scandal” cheer for the show’s good run in Yeouido, western Seoul, yesterday.

From left: Cho Yoon-hee of KBS drama “My Husband Got a Family,” Kim Jae-won of MBC drama “May Queen,” actor Cho Jae-hyun of film “Weight,” producer Kim Jin-man, actress Kim Gyu-ri of MBC drama “Lights and Shadows,” actress Kim Hye-ri of MBC drama “Auction House” and actress Shin Eun-kyung of MBC drama “Flames of Desire” will appear in the drama, which will start its 36-episode run on Saturday. The story begins as policeman Ha Eun-jung (Kim Jae-won) is embroiled in a scandal. [NEWSIS]

katt

June 26, 2013

Choi Phillip rages on Twitter

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily

Actor Choi Phillip of KBS drama “Heaven’s Order” has been embroiled in criticism due to a message he posted Tuesday supporting the celebrity soldiers that were spotted outside a military base at an adult establishment.

“What is ‘Indepth 21?’ Is it a group of crazy people? What do they want from digging into private lives? Crazy busxxxds!” he said on Twitter after the SBS program “Indepth 21” reported on the lives of entertainment soldiers. Most are widely popular celebrities who gained fame before entering the military to serve mandatory terms.

The controversial program aired on Tuesday.

After his comments drew fire, Choi deleted them. Some cannot understand how Choi, who served in the Navy, has expressed support for entertainment soldiers, who mostly sing and dance. Serving in the Navy is considered more difficult that standard military service.

Choi’s agency explained to local media that the actor did not watch the show and made a premature judgment.

It added that Choi deleted his comments after learning more about the investigation and apologized for his hasty reaction.

katt

June 26, 2013

Who is the highest paid actor?

By Park Si-soo The Korea Times

As is the case with ordinary salaried workers, TV stars tend to become tight-lipped when it comes to talking about income. But once a year ㅡ in September or October ㅡ the National Assembly offers a glimpse of what they try to keep secret during a parliamentary inspection of government and state-run companies.

The country’s biggest broadcaster KBS is state-owned, which means how much money it has paid to individual entertainers is disclosed during this scrutiny. The correspondent data of two other terrestrial broadcasters, MBC and SBS, is made public through an inspection of the Korean Broadcasting Association and other state bodies in the industry.

According to data revealed in recent years, actor Bae Yong-joon is the nation’s highest paid star. The 41-year-old was paid a whopping 250 million won ($217,000) in 2007 for appearing in each episode of epic drama “Taewangsasingi,” whose English title is “The Legend.” The drama was made up of 24 episodes, meaning he earned a staggering 5.7 billion won from it.

Park Shin-yang is the second highest paid actor per episode. The 45-year-old earned 170 million won in 2007 for appearing in each of the four extra episodes of SBS’s “War of Money.” He received 45 million won for each of the 16 original installments.

The radical increase provoked drama producers, costing him a three-year appearance ban on TV screens, imposed by an association of TV drama producers. He maintained a low-profile even after the ban was lifted and made a comeback in 2011 through SBS drama “Shine” in which he was paid 15 million won per episode.

Actor Jang Dong-gun and Song Seung-hun are known to receive more than 100 million won per episode.

Ko Hyun-jung is the highest paid actress. The 42-year-old received 55 million won per episode of SBS’s Daemul or “President,” aired in 2010. The previous record was the 48 million won that Choi Ji-woo received for the broadcaster’s “Star’s Lover,” which aired in 2008.

The sum of 55 million won is three times higher than the non-binding limit of 15 million won set by Corea Drama Production Association (CODA) in 2007.

Thirteen actors and actresses are excluded from the financial ceiling for their “outstanding” contribution to the successful export of soap operas to Japan, said a CODA spokesman.

The 13 stars were Bae Yong-joon, Jang Dong-gun, Lee Byung-hun, Song Seung-hun, Rain, Jung Woo-sung, Kwon Sang-woo, Won Bin, So Ji-sub, Choi Ji-woo, Lee Young-ae, Song Hye-kyo and Park Yong-ha.

katt

June 27, 2013

Han Hyo-joo Hopes to See Altruistic Spirit Spread

The Chosun Ilbo



Actress Han Hyo-joo has made a charitable donation of W30 million (US$1=W1,155).

She donated one-third of the money to buy electric fans and summer blankets for senior citizens who live alone, and gave the rest to support other elderly people in need and abandoned youngsters.

In a handwritten letter, she said she hoped more people participate in helping those in need.

katt

June 27, 2013

Roy Kim not dating Park Soo-jin: agency

The Korea Herald


(OSEN)

Roy Kim’s agency on Thursday denied rumors that the singer is in a romantic relationship with actress Park Soo-jin.

“They met several times in the past with mutual feelings toward each other, but they are not dating anymore,” Kim’s agency CJ E&M said via an official statement.

Earlier in the day, local media reported that the 20-year-old singer was dating Park. It said Kim, who gained fame by winning popular TV talent show “Superstar K4,” has been dating the 28-year-old actress for four months.

The reports also said Kim and Park met for the first time in February when Park guest appeared at an MBC radio show where Kim was a temporary host.

katt

June 27, 2013

Actress Kim So yeon cuts off her long hair and return with a prosecutor character

BNTNews l Nate ++



[by Cho Suyoun] Actress Kim So yeon released photos to her short cut hair style as she is returning to the screen with a prosecutor character.

Actress Kim So yeon’s management Namoo Actors posted a photo of Kim So yeon with a short cut hair style on its official Facebook page. With the photo, the management added writing that she cut her hair to become a character of Park Jae kyung in a new series ‘Two Weeks.’

In the revealed photo, Kim is wearing a white t-shirt and smiling at somewhere. For the new role she will be playing in the series, Kim cut her long hair and showed different charms she has. In the series, she will be playing the main character Park Jae kyung who is a prosecutor and chases after a case of Jang Tae san (played by Lee Joon ki). Kim will lead the story and add give tension in the series.

According to her management, actress Kim So yeon is so into preparing for her character. She reads the script every day and goes to action school to learn about action scenes. In addition, she thinks about the character’s hair and fashion style with details.

Meanwhile, the new series ‘Two Weeks’ will be aired on TV after the ‘Queen’s class’ is over in August. (photo by bntnews DB, NAMOO ACTORS)

katt

June 27, 2013

Baek Ji Young Suffers a Miscarriage

CJ E&M enewsWorld Lee, InKyung Translation Credit: Erika Kim

Baek Ji Young is currently recovering from a miscarriage.

A rep from the singer′s agency said on June 27, "Yesterday, Baek Ji Young said she wasn′t feeling well and that her stomach hurt, so we rushed her to the hospital. She, however, lost her child at about 10 a.m. this morning. She is in ill health due to the surgery, and she′s resting at the hospital. Her family has been trying to comfort her by her side."



Baek Ji Young was in her fifth month of pregnancy. Jung Seok Won′s agency hasn′t been answering any calls, and it seems it will not be commenting on the issue.

Baek Ji Young and Jung Seok Won tied the knot on June 2. They planned to go on their honeymoon early July, but it seems in the meantime they will work hard to overcome the unfortunate event.

katt

June 27, 2013

Jung Woo-sung turns bad

BY LIM JU-RI Korea JoongAng Daily



Actor Jung Woo-sung faced a challenge in the upcoming movie “Cold Eyes” for the first time in his nearly 20-year career: playing the bad guy.

In the movie, scheduled to be released Thursday, he plays a character named James, the leader of a criminal group.

“When I started reading the script for the movie, I felt that James would shift the seriousness of the film depending on who gets to play the character,” Jung said.

“When I said I would do it, everyone was really shocked.”

He met with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, to talk more about his role as a criminal who never leaves a trace to avoid being tracked by special forces or local police.

Critics say Jung acts like himself in the first part of the film but becomes more like the character in the latter half.

Q. Did you intend to change yourself as an actor by taking a role you have never played before?

A. No, I actually had little interest in villain characters because I know that actors and movies have a great impact on young children. I thought that I didn’t need to do evil characters even though good characters can be boring. I chose to play a villain in this movie because I didn’t think that the evil was that serious.

Tell us more about the character you are playing.

We do not explain where James comes from and what kind of experiences he had in the past. We thought that it was right to leave this as mysterious as possible so that audiences could use their own imaginations.

The choice of weapon for James seems interesting in the movie. What’s the reason behind using a fountain pen?

It was to make the character colder and crueler. I also felt that James would be obsessively clean due to his job so I got a cleaner hairstyle.

What was the most difficult scene to film?

I didn’t have many action scenes, but I had to do one big fight. James was supposed to be a stylish villain, so I had to try hard not to show an untidy attitude even during fights, and that was hard.

Also, there was a high-profile action scene to be filmed in Seosomun-dong [in central Seoul], and I was very nervous about watching stunt actors working. I usually watch the scenes that look dangerous even though I’m not supposed to be in them. It is a responsibility I have as a lead character, and it is something I ought to do as a senior actor. Fortunately, there was no big accident.

Your job as an actor gets you a lot of attention. Do you feel like you are under surveillance like your character?

Actually I feel more tired than James. James only needs to avoid being caught on security cameras, but I cannot possibly avoid all the cell phone cameras people [on the streets] have. But I think I need to endure because I can’t have it all. I look at it as getting some attention rather than being under surveillance.

What do you want to do before you get older?

I want to play a character in a romantic comedy such as “Pretty Woman” (1990). And I also have some ambitions about directing. Maybe it is because I started as a movie star, but I’m delighted all the time while preparing for a movie, filming it and promoting it after release. I’m currently thinking about [producing] a melodrama with some action scenes. I want to make a movie that represents Jung Woo-sung.

katt

June 27, 2013

Baek Ji-young has a miscarriage

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily

Singer Baek Ji-young, who married actor Jung Suk-won early this month, had a miscarriage yesterday. She was about four-months pregnant.

The couple was shocked by the news, according to local media reports. The newlyweds have been cautious about Baek’s health, even delaying their honeymoon for a month out of considering for the pregnancy.

They were scheduled to take a trip to Las Vegas next month.

katt

June 27, 2013

Kim Soo-hyun ponders next drama role

By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily

Actor Kim Soo-hyun of movie “Secretly Greatly” may soon be coming back to the small screen.

SBS has proposed that Kim take a role in a new drama tentatively named “A Man from a Star” with a script written by Park Ji-eun, who worked on hit drama “My Husband Got a Family” last year.

“We are discussing Kim taking the role after receiving the synopsis,” said an official at Kim’s agency, according to local media reports. “It has not been confirmed yet, but it is true that we are reviewing the option positively.”

If Kim decides to take part in this new drama, he will play a character named Do Min-jun, an alien that came to Korea 400 years ago during the Joseon Dynasty. The character disguises his identity for over four centuries and is cynical about how human beings fall in love with each another.

However, the alien with extremely excellent eyesight and hearing meets a popular actress named Cheon Song-yi and then falls in love himself.

Kim has been away from TV dramas since the hit MBC period drama “The Moon That Embraces the Sun” last year. As the movie “Secretly Great” has sold six million tickets at local theaters, many production companies are trying to have him in their new shows.

The movie will be released in other countries as well. Fans in Singapore will be able to watch the movie after the release there on July 18. It will be released in the United States on the 19th and Canada on the 26th. Other countries, including Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia, are also said to have confirmed the local release of the movie.

katt

June 28, 2013

Celebrities Favor Gangnam Luxury Condos

The Chosun Ilbo



Actor Jung Woo-sung is moving into a luxury condominium in the affluent Gangnam area of southern Seoul where his friend and fellow actor Lee Jung-jae has already bought a unit.

The condo, currently under construction, is in Samseong-dong. It stands 16 stories high and contains only 18 units between 155 and 293 sq.m. Units cost between W2 billion and W5.5 billion (US$1=W1,151).

Construction is set to be completed in September.

"A popular singer is also set to move in," claimed a staffer with the developer. "Half the units are sold."

The staffer said celebrities favor luxury condos due to the security and privacy they offer. This brand-new condo is being equipped with a state-of-the-art security system whose surveillance cameras alert in-house personnel if an intruder is spotted, while illegally parked or idling cars nearby are monitored around the clock.

The building has been designed so residents do not run into each other in hallways while waiting for the elevator.

Jung and Lee are not the only celebrities who have chosen to live in luxury condos in Gangnam. Among the others are celebrity couple Jang Dong-gun and Ko So-young, actor Lee Seung-gi and comedian Lee Hwi-jae. Actresses Song Yun-a, Han Chae-young and Choi Ji-woo, as well as veteran singer Cho Young-nam live in the trendy Cheongdam-dong area of southern Seoul.

"Celebrities prefer privacy over profiting from real estate sales, so they flock to condos in Samseong-dong and Cheongdam-dong," said an estate agent.

katt

June 27, 2013

Defense Ministry to Audit Entertainment Corps

The Chosun Ilbo


Sangchu (left) and Se7en

The Defense Ministry has embarked on an audit of the entertainment corps after a series of misbehaviors by the coddled stars in its ranks made headlines. The ministry is reportedly considering an end to assigning celebrities to exclusive entertainment duties.

Some soldiers in the corps reportedly drank alcohol until midnight after a performance in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on June 21. They included Lee Sang-cheol, known as Sangchu, and Choi Dong-wook, a pop star more commonly known as Se7en, who left their motel at 2:30 a.m. and were caught visiting an adult massage parlor.

In an investigation they testified that they went to get a massage because their knees and back hurt but left when they realized it was a brothel. A military spokesman promised they will be strictly disciplined.

In January, pop star Rain was grounded for just a week for a string of violations including regular trysts with his girlfriend, actress Kim Tae-hee while on official duty.

Since then, the Army implemented special guidelines to manage personnel, but its effectiveness is constantly being called into question.

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin apologized for the latest misbehavior of celebrity soldiers at the National Assembly's Defense Committee on Wednesday. The social media were abuzz with censorious opinion. One Twitter user wrote, "Seeing the erratic behavior of celebrity soldiers makes me feel that those who served the country diligently were stupid after all."

katt

June 28, 2013

Baek Ji-young Distraught After Miscarriage

The Chosun Ilbo



Singer Baek Ji-young, who married actor Jung Suk-won early this month, is reportedly grief-stricken after suffering a natural miscarriage. She was entering her fifth month of pregnancy.

Baek was apparently treading carefully to avoid any complications related to her pregnancy as she is in her late 30s.

The couple even postponed their honeymoon upon learning that traveling during the early stages of pregnancy was not recommended.

Baek is currently recovering from the miscarriage with the help and support of her family at a hospital in Seoul, her management said on Thursday.

katt

June 21, 2013

Goodwill Amb. for Indonesia



Actor Lee Beom-soo, far right, and his wife Lee Yoon-jin, second from left, pose with Indonesian Ambassador to Korea John A. Prasetio, far left, and his wife after being appointed as goodwill ambassador for the Southeast Asian country at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, Friday. The couple will participate in a variety of activities to promote Indonesian culture to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

/ Korea Times photo by Park Si-soo

katt

June 27, 2013

'Secretly, Greatly' to get overseas release

By Claire Lee The Korea Herald


A scene from “Secretly, Greatly.” (Showbox/Mediaplex)

Korean film “Secretly, Greatly” will be released overseas, according to the movie’s producer Showbox/Mediaplex.

The film, starring national heartthrob Kim Soo-hyun in the lead, tells the story of three young and attractive North Korean spies who disguise themselves as a rock musician, a high school student, and an intellectually challenged young man, in South Korea. It is based on the popular 2010 webtoon series “Convertness” by artist HUN.

The movie will be released in the U.S. and Singapore on July 19 and will hit theaters in Canada and Taiwan on July 26, according to Showbox. It is also opening in theaters in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and may be released in China, Vietnam and Thailand, Showbox/Mediaplex said.

“Secretly, Greatly” was released in Korea on June 5, and has drawn more than 6 million viewers. It broke several box office records in the country, by becoming the fastest film to reach the 1 million mark in viewers as well as the highest grossing webtoon-based film.

The film also has been invited to the New York Asian Film Festival, which is slated to be held June 28 to July 15, and Fantasia International Film Festival, which will be held in Montreal, Canada, in August.