Korean Drama

[bag.lover]

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The 40th Annual Baeksang Arts Awards (2004)

* TV *
GRAND PRIZE:
BEST TV DRAMA: More Beautiful than a Flower (KBS)
BEST PRODUCER: Lee Byeong Hun (MBC - Dae Jang Geum / Jewel in the Palace)
BEST ACTOR: Jo In Sung (SBS - Something Happened in Bali)
BEST ACTRESS: Ha Ji Won (SBS - Something Happened in Bali)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Kim Gi Ho (SBS - Something Happened in Bali)
BEST NEW PRODUCER: Lee Jae Gyoo (MBC - Damo / Legendary Police Woman)
BEST NEW ACTOR: Kim Min Joon (MBC - Damo / Legendary Police Woman)
BEST NEW ACTRESS: Han Ji Hye (KBS - Sweet 18)
POPULARITY AWARDS:
Choi Ji Woo (Stairway to Heaven),
Yang Mi Kyeong (Jewel in the Palace),
So Ji Sup (Something Happened in Bali),
Rain (Sang Doo, Let's Go to School)

* FILM *
GRAND PRIZE: Silmido
BEST MOVIE: Taegukgi: Brotherhood of War
BEST DIRECTOR: Park Chan Wook (Old Boy)
BEST ACTOR: Choi Min Shik (Old Boy)
BEST ACTRESS: Kim Ha Nul (Too Beautiful to Lie)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Too Beautiful to Lie
BEST NEW DIRECTOR: Lee Su Yeon (The Uninvited)
BEST NEW ACTOR: Bae Yong Joon (Untold Scandal)
BEST NEW ACTRESS: Yun Jin Seo (Old Boy)
POPULARITY AWARDS:
Kang Dong Won (Too Beautiful to Lie),
Kwon Sang Woo (Once Upon a Time in High School),
Han Ga In (Once Upon a Time in High School),
Kim Suna

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The 39th Annual Baeksang Arts Awards (2003)

* TV *
GRAND PRIZE: All In (SBS)
BEST TV DRAMA: Ruler of Your Own World (MBC)
BEST PRODUCER: Kim Jong Hak (SBS - Daemang)
BEST ACTOR: Lee Byung Hun (SBS - All In)
BEST ACTRESS: Kim Hee Ae (KBS2 - A Wife)
BEST SCREENPLAY: In Jung Wook (MBC - Ruler of Your Own World)
BEST NEW PRODUCER: Lee Geon Joon (KBS2 - Loving You)
BEST NEW ACTOR: Yang Dong Geun (MBC - Ruler of Your Own World)
BEST NEW ACTRESS: Jang Na Ra (SBS - Successful Story of a Bright Girl)
POPULARITY AWARDS: Ahn Jae Mo, Yoon Tae Young, Kim Won Hee

* FILM *
GRAND PRIZE: The Way Home
BEST MOVIE: Oasis
BEST DIRECTOR: Lee Chang Dong (Oasis)
BEST ACTOR: Cha Seung Won (Jail Breakers)
BEST ACTRESS: Uhm Jung Hwa (Marriage is a Crazy Thing)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Park Jung Woo (Break Out / Spark the Lighter)
BEST NEW DIRECTOR: Kim Hyun Seok (YMCA Baseball Team)
BEST NEW ACTOR: Kwon Sang Woo (My Tutor Friend)
BEST NEW ACTRESS: Son Ye Jin (The Classic)
HONOR AWARD: Lee Tae Won (Strokes of Fire)
POPULARITY AWARDS:
Im Chang Jeong (Sex is Zero),
Ha Ji Won (Sex is Zero),
Kim Jung Eun (Marrying the Mafia),
Kim Ha Nul (My Tutor Friend)

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The 38th Annual Baeksang Arts Awards (2002)

* TV *
GRAND PRIZE: Emperor Wang Gun / Taejo Wang Geon (KBS1)
http://www.kbs.co.kr/end_program/drama/king/
BEST TV DRAMA: Piano (SBS)
BEST PRODUCER: Yoon Suk Ho (KBS2 - Winter Sonata)
BEST ACTOR: Yoo Dong Geun (KBS2 - Empress Myeongseong)
BEST ACTRESS: Jeon In Hwa (SBS - Woman's World)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Kim Jung Su (MBC - Her House)
BEST NEW PRODUCER: (MBC - New Nonstop)
BEST NEW ACTOR: Ryoo Seung Bum (SBS - Wonderful Days)
BEST NEW ACTRESS: Kong Hyo Jin (SBS - Wonderful Days)
POPULARITY AWARDS:
Bae Yong Joon (Winter Sonata),
Choi Ji Woo (Winter Sonata),
Yoon Tae Young,
So Yu Jin

* FILM *
GRAND PRIZE: Public Enemy
BEST MOVIE: Waikiki Brothers
BEST DIRECTOR: Hur Jin Ho (One Fine Spring Day)
BEST ACTOR: Cho Jae Hyun (Bad Guy)
BEST ACTRESS: Bae Doo Na (Take Care of My Cat)
BEST SCREENPLAY: Song Min Ho, Jang Hyun Soo (Raybang)
BEST NEW DIRECTOR: Yoon Jong Chan (Sorum)
BEST NEW ACTOR: Jung Woon Taek (Friend)
BEST NEW ACTRESS: Lee Yo Won (Take Care of My Cat)
POPULARITY AWARDS: Yoo Oh Sung, Kim Hee Sun

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[bag.lover]

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(source: CHOSUN Jun. 29, 2007)
Monster Movie Maker Wangles Huge U.S. Release

Shim Hyung-rae is about to return with a new science fiction blockbuster "D-War" as in "war of the dragons." Opening in Korea on Aug. 2, the movie will be released in the U.S. on Sept. 14. The whole movie will be revealed in a preview on July 23, with a five-minute segment that is expected to rock viewers with its special effects, including an enormous dragon and a massive, roaring anaconda that smashes up urban Los Angeles.

Although this is the 11th movie Shim has directed since 1992's "Young-gu and Count Dracula", most people still think of him as a comedian. Partly because of the current slump in the Korean movie industry, "D-War" is being touted as the "relief pitcher for Korean cinema" and "the savior of the Chungmuro (Korean Hollywood) in crisis." It is essentially a sci-fi story heavily laden with special effects. Will it be able to satisfy Korean viewers stimulated by Hollywood fare like "Spider-Man 3" and "Transformers"? Korean viewers are actually well known for their sophisticated tastes.

There's no point in building needlessly high expectations, nor decrying the film. Shim Hyung-rae and "D-War" have already scored some important accomplishments. Freestyle, the movie's U.S. distributor, is promising a wide release in 1,500 theaters across America, and is taking care of all necessary costs. That's no small success. Compare that to "Spider-Man 3", which was released in 4,000 theaters, and Korea's biggest hit so far, "The Host", which opened in just 70 theaters. And U.S. viewers are known to enjoy sci-fi flicks with monstrous beasts. As a filmmaker who has found his way through a break in the U.S., not Korea, Shim has much to be proud about.


A poster for the sci-fi movie “D-War” directed by Shim Hyung-rae.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS Global 2007-06-29)
Kang Ji-hwan Gains Popularity in Japan



Actor Kang Ji-hwan has gained enormous popularity in Japan recently and will hold his first fan meeting in Tokyo July 1.

Tickets to the upcoming fan meeting were sold out immediately, and are currently being sold for 70,000 to 100,000 won on Yahoo! and auction websites.

Kang was even denied entry to Haneda Airport due to safety concerns, as his Japanese fans are likely to flock to the airport to see their favorite actor. Kang will arrive in Japan June 30 for a two-day stay.

The actor's agency is busy devising safety measures. The agency has requested the organizer of the fan meeting in Japan to restrict fans' access to the airport, and notified the fans as well. Haneda Airport agreed to grant Kang permission to enter the airport only after the organizer pledged to prevent any safety accidents.

Kang, who is currently appearing in the KBS TV drama "Seoul Scandal," gained recognition in Japan for his role in the drama "Be Strong, Gumsun," which aired on KNTV and in a satellite theater in that country.

The actor's popularity is expected to soar further when the drama "Fireworks," in which he plays a leading role, will air in Japan in July.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: BROasia 2007-06-29)
Singers Gather For Korean Drama O.S.T. Concert in Japan



"Enjoy Korean Drama Theme Songs All At Once"
Singers Gather For Drama O.S.T. Concert in Japan

The singers whose songs are featured as theme songs of popular Korean dramas will perform on one stage to sing beautiful songs.

Korea Culture & Contents Agency will introduce many popular Korean drama O.S.T., all in one concert called the "Drama Original Sounds Korea 2007" at the Tokyo Yupoto Hall on July 10th.

On that day, the songs from "What Happened in Bali," and "Smile Again" sung by Oh Hyun Ran, Yoon Mi Rae's song from "Lovers in Paris", Kim Tae Hoon's song from "Resurrection," JUST＊s songs from "Damo," "My Lovely Sam-soon," Howl's songs from "Goong" and "Goong S," Lee Ji Hoon's songs from "Billie Jean is not my lover" and the movie "April Snow," and others will participate in this show. Also, "Gayarang" will perform fusion music that mixed traditional Korean music with Korean pop.

This event is promoted by the Korea Culture & Contents Agency as a showcase with the purpose of having Kpop penetrate the Japanese industry. It also expects Kpop to have a solid foundation in the industry.

After the showcase is done, the participating artists will have a reception with the Japanese music industry people. In this reception, there will be a lively exchange of ideas about both Korean and Japanese music market, and the participating artists will look into the possibility and feasibility of entering the Japanese music market.

In order to increase of the backing of this even, this "Drama Original Sound Korea 2007" concert will have the Japanese culture-affiliated organizations such as the Movie Industry Development Organization, Japan Recording Society, etc. From Korea, the Korea Entertainment Producers' Association will be a sponsor that will also show the new potentials of the Korean cultural contents.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: The Korea Times 06-29-2007)
Honored Queen of Cannes



Honored Queen of Cannes: Actress Jeon Do-yeon, left, is honored with the Okgwan Order Culture Merit by the Minister of Culture Kim Jong-min at the minister’s office in central Seoul, Friday. The 34-year-old star marked a milestone for Korean cinema by winning the award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in May for her moving role in “Secret Sunshine,” directed by Lee Chang-dong.

/ Yonhap
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[bag.lover]

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(source: tour2korea 06-30-2007)
Actress Yun Eun-Hye Returns to the TV screen



Actress Yun Eun-Hye returns to the TV set 1 year after her role in KBS drama’s ‘Vineyard Man’, where she says, “Now I will be able to show my acting talent”.

The MBC Monday, Tuesday drama ‘Coffee Prince Store 1 (writers Lee Jeong-Ah, Jang Hyeon-Ju, Director Lee Yoon-Jeong) held a production conference in the CCMM building on the 26th at 3pm in Yeoido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

Actress Yun Eun-Hye stated her opinions, “I fully trust the director, and haven’t worried too much about the production. I wanted to show a higher level of acting rather than my usual spunky roles.”

Based on the writer Lee Seon-Mi’s original romance novel under the same name, ‘Coffee Prince Store 1’, actors Gong Yu, Lee Seon-Gyun, Chae Jeong-An, and Yun Eun-Hye present the dreams and love of four people.

Yun Eun-Hye plays Ko Eun-Chan, a woman who dresses up as a man to get a part time job at a coffee shop. Yun Eun-Hye expressed her thoughts on her new haircut in order to play a woman dressed up as a man, “My hair will grow again, but it’s hard to find a production that will help me grow as an actress, and that is why I didn’t regret cutting my hair.”

She added, “In ‘Palace’, I felt like I was still an amateur, and there were some scenes I was not satisfied with in ‘Vineyard Man’, but my third drama will allow me to show another level of my acting instead of the same old spunky character.”

Yun Eun-Hye shared her thoughts about her new role, “This character tries to be bright and stay positive in front of others, and I was pleased with the fact that I can display such an upbeat character.”

On the other hand, MBC Best Theater drama ‘Taereung Training Center’, production director Lee Yun-Jeong, is planning to use some unique directing and production techniques. The general public has great expectation for this director

* The photo courtesy of Chosun Ilbo& Digital Chosun Ilbo

DATE 6-30-2007

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KABC - TV LOS ANGELES)
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?se...ent&id=5432404
Korean Superstar Rain Prepares for L.A. Concert

Rain is Ready to Make a Splash in America

By George Pennacchio

June 28, 2007 (KABC-TV) - He is known as Korea's Justin Timberlake.

Last year, Time magazine called him the second most influential artist in the world.

This year, he was named one of People magazine's Most Beautiful people. Even Diddy is a fan.

Now, the international superstar who goes by the name of Rain is bringing his high-energy musical concert tour to Southern California this Saturday for one night only.

"Hi, this is Ji-Hoon. I'm happy to be in L.A. See you at my concert. Thank you," he said.

Beyond those words, the 25-year-old performer wasn't comfortable doing the interview in English.

However, learning more of our language may be in his future.

"I was very surprised to find that I had a lot of fans in the U.S. and it surprised me a lot to see that my fan base has expanded into the American market," Rain said, through an interpreter.

"Instead of showing what's on the outer of my body, what I want to do is show my fans at the Staples Center concert, is to show my inner feelings and to show about who I really am," Rain said, through an interpreter.

He'll show fans that this Saturday at Staples Center.

And next month, he'll start filming the live action big screen version of the old cartoon series, "Speed Racer."

Copyright © 2007 KABC-TV. All rights reserved.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: Los Angeles Times June 30, 2007)
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...,7720698.story
To the top of the world

That's the goal of South Korean singer Rain as he sets out to dazzle the U.S.

By Chris Lee, Times Staff Writer
June 30, 2007

GIVEN the brain-numbing consistency with which the two performers are compared, South Korean pop superstar Rain is pretty gracious about being referred to as "the Justin Timberlake of Asia." To a point.

The Seoul-born heartthrob R&B singer-dancer-actor, who has sold millions of records around the globe and whose every public appearance is greeted with messianic enthusiasm by legions of super-fans from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei, is willing to accept being likened to Mr. SexyBack — as a means to a more self-fulfilling end.

"I'm grateful … that even before touching the American market, people here refer to me as an artist of his stature," said Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-Hoon. "But I want to let the fan base know who I am. Once I release my album, people can say, 'Justin Timberlake, he is like an American version of Rain.' "

The curious will be able to judge the K-pop phenom's hip-hop-influenced dance repertoire, crunk-inflected backing beats and washboard abs for themselves tonight, when Rain, 25, headlines at Staples Center. As of press time, more than 80% of the show's tickets had been sold, its promoter said, with fans flying in from as far away as Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong.

In Los Angeles last week, just after having had to postpone dates on his "Rain's Coming" world tour (organizers hadn't anticipated the difficulties of schlepping Rain's 28 18-wheelers' worth of stage rigging and 96-person entourage from Asia to Honolulu to Atlanta to New York to San Francisco inside of two weeks), the 6-foot singer settled into a Century City hotel suite to talk about conquering the American market.

A cadre of Rain's enablers who were also in the room — publicists, makeup artists, consultants, managers and tour promoters — nodded quietly and sometimes giggled as he spoke. "Through my work in movies, music and commercials, I've become known as the superstar of Asia," he said through a translator. "My first goal in coming to the U.S. is to become a worldwide superstar."

In a year in which Rain made People magazine's "100 most beautiful people" issue and was voted the world's most influential person by Time magazine readers in an online poll (outranking Steve Jobs and Bono, only to be spoofed by "The Colbert Report's" Stephen Colbert as "Kid Jong Il" for the honor), Rain is attempting to synergize his pan-Asian fan base, Information Age interconnectivity and "fusion" music to win American audiences as no Asian entertainer before him has.

"He's a hot commodity right now," said Andy Kim, chief executive of V2B Global, the promoter of Rain's Staples Center appearance. "He has dedicated fans around the world. Now he's [in] Hollywood. And L.A. has the biggest Korean population in the country."

Toward that end, Rain will make his Hollywood movie debut in a supporting role in the Wachowski brothers' hotly anticipated follow-up to their smash trilogy of "Matrix" films, the action adventure "Speed Racer," which begins filming in Germany next month.

In this adaptation of the Japanese animated series, he will portray ace race car driver Taejo Togokahn, who partners with Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) and Racer X (Matthew Fox) to compete in a drive-or-die cross-country race.

Some of his songs contain smatterings of English, but he is studying the language and plans to record his first album in English soon.

Rain isn't the first Asian superstar to attempt to shatter the glass ceiling of American idolatry. In the mid-'90s, Sony Music signed Canto-pop sensation Coco Lee, who failed to generate much commercial enthusiasm here despite heavy promotion and high-profile appearances, such as singing at the 2001 Academy Awards. Likewise, Japanese soul singer Toshi Kubota's bid at Stateside stardom fizzled in 2000, even with massive press and an American album, "Nothing but Your Love," packed with contributions by neo-soul and hip-hop stars including the Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, rapper Pras and Raphael Saadiq.

According to James Ryu, editor and publisher of the monthly Korean American magazine KoreAm Journal, Rain's lack of English language skills could become his biggest liability.

"He has to be visible to the public — not only on the dance floor but in the press, on shows like the 'Today' show and 'Good Morning America,' " Ryu said. "A lot of Hispanic performers did that before him — even with broken English. One reason he's so popular in Asia is because he does a lot of PR."

Rain hit his first public relations speed bump in this country in February, when Rain Corp. filed a lawsuit challenging his right to use his stage name in this country; the music company claimed it owns the copyright for the long-running Beatles tribute band named Rain.

A Nevada District Court dismissed the case earlier this month, however, and Asia's Justin Timberlake (Rain is a direct translation of Jung's Korean alias, "Bi") is now free to use his stage name in the U.S.

"I respect [the band Rain] because they've been around 25 years, but I've been procuring my image for the last six years," he said. "When I first heard about it, as a joke I was thinking about changing my name in America to Cloud." Rain giggled.

Complicating matters further, Rain recently parted ways with his longtime mentor and manager, Park Jin Young, who wrote much of his material and is widely credited with cultivating his cuddly yet streetwise image and generally shaping his career. After much speculation in the Korean press over who would replace Park, Rain quietly installed one of Park's associates, Dong Won Cho, as his new manager, a shift akin in U.S. pop circles to, say, Kelly Clarkson firing her high-powered manager and throwing in with one of his underlings.

Even with the singer's immediate career plans still nebulous, Rain's sense of his destiny might be summed up in his 2006 hit single, "I'm Coming": "Rain is coming down again, soaking everything," he croons in Korean atop a slinky synth-based R&B backing track, "Rain is coming down and it won't stop / It's too hot, it won't stop."

Whatever Rain's mixed feelings about the Timberlake comparison, he is upfront about crediting another international pop superstar with establishing the template for crossover success.

"Going back to Ricky Martin, '[Livin'] La Vida Loca' broke at just the right moment and helped open the door for a lot of other artists," Rain said.

"With Ricky Martin, it wasn't about being Latino. It was about fusion. I think I can make a fusion between Asian and American music."

He said he expects word of mouth — from his YouTube videos, Internet fan sites and the broadcast of the South Korean soap operas that established his celebrity — to help kick-start his American career. "The Digital Age is helping propel me," Rain said.

With his fresh-faced courtliness and the motto "Endless effort, endless endurance, endless modesty," the singer can at times seem more like an earnest taekwondo white belt than the guy Time magazine called "the face — the well-muscled torso — of pop globalism." Although he said he wants to show American women "how sweet and loving Asian men are," Rain said his larger mission is to open the Western pop-culture portal for other performers from the Far East.

"I want an Asian to make it," Rain said. "And whether I'm the first person to succeed or if it's someone else, I want to lay down a foundation."

"Being the one to do it, I would love to be that person," he added. "But I leave it up to fate."

-----
Rain
Where: Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles
When: 8 tonight
Price: $65 to $273
Contact: (213) 742-7340

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[bag.lover]

(source: isplus.com)
Survey conducted by Daily Sport & JES Entertainment Team
Period: 6/19-6/28/2007
Participants: Each of the 143 members from the entertainment industry (planning, production, PR, marketing and management) chose 3 Korean entertainers.

* BEST FACE *
Male Entertainers
1. Jang Dong Gun (92 votes)
2. Won Bin (51 votes)
3. Jo In Sung (50 votes)
4. Kang Dong Won (39 votes)
5. Song Seung Hun (23 votes)
6. Hyun Bin (15 votes)
6. Jung Il Woo (15 votes)
8. Kwon Sang Woo (8 votes)
9. So Ji Sup (6 votes)
9. Ju Jin Mo (6 votes)
Female Entertainers
1. Kim Tae Hee (69 votes)
2. Song Hye Kyo (44 votes)
3. Han Ga In (42 votes)
4. Kim Hee Sun (20 votes)
4. Jeon Ji Hyun (20 votes)
6. Lee Young Ae (19 votes)
7. Son Ye Jin (17 votes)
8. Ko So Young (11 votes)
8. Han Ye Seul (11 votes)
8. Kim A Jung (11 votes)

* BEST BODY *
Male Entertainers
1. Kwon Sang Woo (88 votes)
2. Song Seung Hun (45 votes)
3. Bi / Rain (38 votes)
4. Bae Yong Joon (34 votes)
5. So Ji Sup (32 votes)
6. Lee Jung Jae (30 votes)
7. Cha Seung Won (17 votes)
8. Jo In Sung (11 votes)
8. Kim Jong Kook (11 votes)
10. Jung Woo Sung (10 votes)
Female Entertainers
1. Jeon Ji Hyun (67 votes)
2. Lee Hyori (43 votes)
3. Han Jae Young (42 votes)
4. Kim A Jung (39 votes)
4. Ivy (39 votes)
6. Kim Hye Su (35 votes)
7. Hyun Young (28 votes)
8. Park Jin Hee (11 votes)
9. Choi Yeo Jin (7 votes)
9. Chae Yeon (7 votes)

* BEST OVERALL LOOK *
Male Entertainers
1. Jang Dong Gun (70 votes)
2. Jo In Sung (42 votes)
3. Song Seung Hun (39 votes)
4. Kwon Sang Woo (28 votes)
5. Won Bin (26 votes)
5. Kang Dong Won (26 votes)
7. Rain (22 votes)
8. Jung Woo Sung (20 votes)
9. So Ji Sup (15 votes)
10. Bae Yong Joon (13 votes)
Female Entertainers
1. Jeon Ji Hyun (71 votes)
2. Lee Hyori (30 votes)
3. Kim Hye Su (28 votes)
3. Kim A Jung (28 votes)
5. Kim Tae Hee (27 votes)
6. Ivy (24 votes)
7. Son Ye Jin (21 votes)
8. Han Chae Young (15 votes)
9. Han Ga In (13 votes)
10. Song Hye Kyo (13 votes)

"Best Face": Jang Dong Gun & Kim Tae Hee

"Best Body": Kwon Sang Woo & Jeon Ji Hyun

"Best Overall Look": Jang Dong Gun & Jeon Ji Hyun

[bag.lover]

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(The Korea Times 07-01-2007)
Rain's LA Concert Goes Bust


Disappointed Japanese fans of South Korean pop singer Rain look at their tickets after the concert was canceled just one and a half hours before the scheduled performance in Los Angeles, Saturday. / Yonhap


By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter



Pop star Rain shed tears after his concert in Los Angeles was abruptly canceled just hours before the scheduled performance due to the local promoter's lack of preparation and financial problems, according to reports yesterday.

The American leg of the popular singer's "Rain's Coming'' world tour has flopped altogether, as Los Angeles was the only remaining concert after his four other scheduled performances including New York and Atlanta were indefinitely postponed earlier this month, following a lawsuit over the copyright of the name "Rain.'' The lawsuit was settled only late last month when a Nevada court dismissed the case against the Rain Corporation, a Nevada-based music company that sued over the rights.

Officials at Rain's Seoul-based concert management company, Star M, attributed the cancellation of the Los Angeles concert to the L.A.-based promoter that did not pay subcontractors money owed to them on time. As the companies withdrew, the stage was left bare without lighting or screens, according to Star M.

The 25-year-old singer and actor expressed a strong wish to appear on stage to greet his fans, but this was impossible due to regulations on performances, Star M said.

Rain's ambitious plan for a limited tour of the United States has now come to an unfortunate end, leaving a bad taste in fans' mouths and a lawsuit. Last month, Click Entertainment, a Honolulu-based promoting company for Rain's concert, filed a lawsuit against the singer's Korean managers, claiming they were not informed of the cancellation and swindled out of about $500,000. Star M plans to counter the lawsuit with a defamation suit.

Rain, whose real name is Jung Ji-hoon, expressed his sentiments on the recent unfolding of events on his official Web site on his birthday June 25.

"I hope that people's greed doesn't ruin our concerts any more," he wrote in Korean and English. "I'd better plan the next tour and set up the stage by myself. Then, there won't be any problems, will there?"

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS GLOBAL 2007-07-02)
Dinner Marks 4th Anniversary of "Winter Sonata" in Japan



A special dinner show was held in Tokyo June 29 to mark the fourth anniversary of the Japanese debut of the super-hit TV drama "Winter Sonata," starring Bae Yong-jun and Choi Ji-woo.

Singer Ryoo sang the theme song of the drama, entitled "From Beginning Till Now," against the backdrop of famous drama scenes being screened onstage. The audience was once again mesmerized by the drama and the heart-moving voice of the singer.

Actor Park Yong-ha, who gained enormous popularity in Japan for his role in "Winter Sonata," released an album June 27 to mark the third anniversary of his debut in that country.

The album took the ninth spot on the Oricon music chart on the day of its release, further boosting Park's popularity in Japan.

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[bag.lover]

(source: innolife)
Figures released by ABG Nielson Media on June 29th.

Top 10 TV Dramas Viewership of Jan-June 2007

1. Jumong (MBC) - 45.5%
- Song Il Kuk, Han Hye Jin
http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/jumong/index.html

2. Pure 19 (KBS1) - 40.8%
- Goo Hye Sun, Lee Min Woo, Suh Ji Suk, Lee Yoon Ji
http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/soonjung/index.html


3. War of Money (SBS) - 29.4%
- Park Shin Yang, Park Jin Hee, Kim Jung Hwa, Shin Dong Wook
http://tv.sbs.co.kr/warofmoney


4. As Much as Heaven and Earth (KBS1) - 29.2%
- Han Hyo Joo, Park Hae Jin, Hong Soo Ah
http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/sky/index.html


5. Dae Jo Young (KBS1) - 25.8%
- Choi Su Jong, Jung Bo Seok, Park Ye Jin, Lee Deok Hwa
http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/daejoyoung/index.html


6. My Man's Woman (SBS) - 24.7%
- Kim Hee Ae, Oh Seung Hyun


7. Blissful Woman (KBS2) - 24.6%
- Yoon Jung Hee, Kim Suk Hoon
http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/happy/index.html


8. Lovers (SBS) -
- Lee Seo Jin, Kim Jung Eun, Kim Kyu Ri, Jung Chan
http://tv.sbs.co.kr/lovers2006

9. Surgeon Bong Dal Hee (SBS) -
- Lee Bum Soo, Lee Yo Won, Choi Yu Jin


10. Yun Gae So Mun (SBS) -
- Yoo Dong Geun, Kim Gab Soo, Hwang In Young, Lee Tae Gon
http://tv.sbs.co.kr/ygsomun/

[bag.lover]

Jumong - MBC's 45th Anniversary Period Drama



War of Money - SBS's Wednesday/Thursday Drama

As a result of actor Park Shin Yang's popularity (Lovers in Paris established PSY's status as a Hallyu star), War of Money was sold to China for 3 billion Won (20 million Won per episode). Its price is much higher than previous Korean dramas which got about 10 million Won per episode.

[bag.lover]

Kwon Sang Woo returns to TV screen

Popular actor Kwong Sang Woo returns to the small screen after a 2-year break (since MBC drama "Sad Love Story" in 2005) with upcoming TV drama "Bad Love". This drama was originally planned for Rain and Ko So Yong (Blue Fish) in 2005.

Kwon Sang Woo will start filming "Bad Love" once his movie with popular actor Song Seung Hun titled "A Destiny" wraps up (end of September). The broadcast network and leading actress are not yet determined.

Kwon Sang Woo
Birthdate: August 5th, 1976
Height: 183 cm (6 ft)
Weight: 70kg (154 lbs)
Education: HanNam University (Fine Arts Education major)
Movies: A Destiny (2007), Almost Love (2006), Running Wild (2005), Love So Divine (2004), One Upon a Time in High School (2004), My Tutor Friend (2003), Project X (2003), Make It Big (2002), Volcano High (2001)
TV Series: Bad Love (2007), Sad Love Story (MBC, 2005), Stairway to Heaven (SBS, 2003/2004), Into the Sun (SBS, 2003), We're Dating Now (SBS, 2002), Legend (SBS, 2001), Man and Woman (SBS, 2001), Delicious Proposal (MBC, 2000)

[bag.lover]

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(source: BROasia 2007-07-02)
"Winter Sonata," The Most Popular Korean Drama In Japan



"Winter Sonata," The Most Popular Korean Drama In Japan
Results from Asahi TV programs research shows "Dae Jang Geum," and "Stairway to Heaven" follows behind.

Among many Korean dramas that have perpetrated Japan, "Winter Sonata" revealed to have the most popularity.

According to the Japanese Asahi TV informative variety show, "SMAP Station," their latest research shows that "Winter Sonata," starring Korean stars Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo, was first place in the category of Best Korean Dramas. This research was started in May.

"Dae Jang Geum," starring Lee Young Ae and Ji Jin Hee received second place, "Stairway to Heaven" starring Kwon Sang Woo and Choi Ji Woo received third place, and "Wonderful Days" and "Hotelier" were included in the top five.

The rest were "Sad Sonata," "All In," "Summer Scent," "Autumn Fairytale," and "Lovers in Paris" in the top ten.

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1. Winter Sonata (Bae Yong Joon, Choi Ji Woo)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1
2. Dae Jang Geum / Jewel in the Palace (Lee Young Ae, Ji Jin Hee)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1
3. Stairway to Heaven (Kwon Sang Woo, Choi Ji Woo, Shin Hyun Joon)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1
4. Wonderful/Beautiful Days (Lee Byung Hun, Ryu Shi Won, Choi Ji Woo)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1
5. Hotelier (Kim Seung Woo, Bae Yong Joon, Song Yoon Ah, Song Hye Kyo)
6. Sad Sonata (Kwon Sang Woo, Kim Hee Sun, Yeon Jung Hoon)
7. All In (Lee Byung Hun, Song Hye Kyo)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1
8. Summer Scent (Song Seung Hun, Son Yeh Jin)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1
9. Autumn Fairy Tale / Autumn in My Heart (Song Seung Hun, Song Hye Kyo, Won Bin)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1
10. Lovers in Paris (Park Shin Yang, Kim Jung Eun, Lee Dong Gun)
http://english.tour2korea.com/02Cult...m=m2_6&konum=1