Korean Drama

[bag.lover]

(source: chosunOnline)

Yoon Eun Hye & Joo Ji Hoon

[bag.lover]

(source: chosun Online)

[MAGs]

Thanks for the updates... its very entertaining

[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS Global 2007-07-09)
Seven to Release Album in U.S.



The date 7/7/2007 has proven to be auspicious for singer Seven.

His sixth single album released in Japan took the seventh spot on the Oricon music chart, while his concert in Tokyo as part of his 2007 Japan tour has ended successfully.

Seven has held his tour since June 30 along with a live band, drawing some 30,000 viewers. At his concerts, the singer showed off impressive dance moves and demonstrated his skill at playing the guitar and drums.

Seven captivated the hearts of his female fans by showing off his muscular body at his outdoor concerts despite heavy rains, and sang his Japanese debut song "Light" along with his fans. Seven's Japanese tour came as his last event this year prior to his upcoming debut in the United States, and drew some 300 Korean fans as well.

The singer will promote his new single album this month in Japan and leave for the U.S. in August to begin the recording of his debut album in that country.

Seven says he has been unable to perform in Korea as much as he originally planned this year, but will work hard to achieve his ultimate goal of releasing an album in the United States.

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[Think2Day]

I love Goong!

[lovechloe]

I just saw this one.. : To Marry a Millionaire

I know, i know, it is old.. (from 2005) but it was really good. It started with a show like Joe millionaire and the love story goes on.

Here is the link if you are interested.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3LSQ8SR_o2I

[bag.lover]

Lee Jung Jae and Choi Ji Woo's MBC drama "Air City" just ended.


According to AGB Nielson, the final episode of MBC weekend drama "Air City" (aired on July 8th) obtained 10.7% rating (nationwide). Replacing this drama starting next week (July 14th at 9:40pm) will be drama "9 End and 2 Outs" starring Su Ae and Lee Jung Jin.




(source: innolife, chosun)

[bag.lover]

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(source: chosun, translated below)
"Comeback" Report Card: Park Shin Yang at #1

Many stars returned to the small screen in the first half of 2007. How did they do? The following result is based on reviews, TV ratings, and TV reporters' opinions.


^ Park Shin Yang, Jang Hyuk

***** (Five Stars): Pay attention to the star before the TV drama
"War of Money" (SBS)'s lead actor Park Shin Yang received the highest marks. Producer Jung Tae Woo, script writer Lee Hyang Hee, stars such as Lee Won Jong all said that the secret of "War of Money"'s success is Park Shin Yang's involvement, praising his outstanding performance. Park Shin Yang's 1st work in 3 years (since SBS's "Lovers in Paris") obtained high ratings again.



^ Yoon Kye Sang, Shin Eun Gyung, Lee Yo Won

**** (Four Stars): Help the TV drama
Among actors who returned from their military duty, Jang Hyuk is a successful model.

Even though his comeback work "Thank You" (MBC) stood out by itself, Jang Hyuk's complete portrayal of doctor "Min Ki Seo" was a success.

Actress Lee Yo Won won popularity with her realistic portrayal of a doctor who would like to understand her patients in "Surgeon Bong Dal Hee" (SBS).

Actress Shin Eun Gyung's confident image in "Bad Couple" (SBS), her 1st drama in 8 years, was also well received.


*** (Three Stars): Accomplish the basic tasks
Actor Yoon Kye Sang chose "Crazy for You" (SBS) as his 1st work after being discharged from military service.

Actor Lee Jung Jae played a National Intelligence Service agent in "Air City" (MBC), his 1st TV drama in 8 years. Unfortunately, ratings were not as high as expected.

Actor Cha Tae Hyun's return work "I Came in Search of a Flower" (KBS2) left viewers bored with his same image since movie "My Sassy Girl".


** (Two Stars): How about not participating in TV drama
Actress Kang Hye Jung's return in 9 years with "I Came in Search of a Flower" (KBS2) was a failure.

Actor Park Jung Chul in "Blue Fish" (SBS), 1st work after being discharged from military service.

Actress Yoon Son Ha in "Oh Lovers" (SBS), 1st Korean work in 7 years.

* (One Star)
After a long and selective process, actress Go So Young chose "Blue Fish" (SBS) as her comeback work in 9 years. It was a failure, its rating was about 5%. Her performance was criticized and compared to newcomers. Fans commented that she forgot how to act because she's been appearing in commercials for quite some time.

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[bag.lover]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

According to AGB Nielson, the final episode of MBC weekend drama "Air City" (aired on July 8th) obtained 10.7% rating (nationwide). Replacing this drama starting next week (July 14th at 9:40pm) will be drama "9 End and 2 Outs" starring Su Ae and Lee Jung Jin. (source: innolife, chosun)

According to TNS Media Research, the final episode of MBC's weekend drama "Air City" was 9.4%. This big budget drama featured renowned Hallyu stars Lee Jung Jae and Choi Ji Woo. (TNS & AGB often have different numbers)

[bag.lover]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

For the next 2 weeks, "War of Money" Bonus Round will be aired.

Actress Park Jin Hee and actor Lee Won Jong will not be in Bonus Round. Park Jin Hee pulled out of the special dued to health reason.

(source: chosun)

[bag.lover]

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(source: The Korea Herald 2007.07.10)
Korean filmmakers face uphill battle

In the second half of 2006, Korean films led by "The Host," "Tazza: The High Rollers" and "200-Pound Beauty" enjoyed strong showings at the box office, outsmarting Hollywood blockbusters. This year, the situation has been completely reversed.

Big-budget Hollywood flicks like "Spider-Man 3" dominated the local box office in the first six months of 2007, while the share of local films, once hovering at around 40 percent, plunged to 20 percent in May.

The Korean film industry now places its hopes on a handful of movies to be released in the second half of this year.

The spotlight is on "Hwaryeohan hyuga," which roughly translates into "Colorful Holiday," a tale that centers on the Gwangju massacre of May 18, 1980 when troops sent by the military dictatorship killed hundreds of innocent citizens.

The film, which cost about 10 billion won ($10.9 million) to make and is set to be released on July 26, portrays actual events leading up to the May 18 massacre, with the main character named Min-woo (Kim Sang-kyung) joining a citizen militia to protect demonstrators against government troops. Directed by Kim Ji-hoon, the film also stars well-known actors such as Ahn Sung-ki and teen idol Lee Jun-ki. Critics say that the film's realistic depiction of the tragic incident may renew interest in Korean films among audiences.

Although there are conflicting views about its commercial potential, critics also point to "D-War," a sci-fi monster movie directed by Shim Hyung-rae, as one of the major Korean films in the second half of the year.

"D-War," to be released on Aug. 2, is a typical effects-heavy movie shot mostly in Los Angeles. The film has drawn keen attention from local fans and critics because of its ambitious foray into the American market, as well as its massive production budget. It is estimated that the film cost about $70 million to shoot, including all the special effects developed by Younggu Art, a home-grown CGI company founded by director Shim.

Starring Jason Behr and Amanda Brooks, the English-language film revolves around a Korean legend about a huge snake-like creature known as "imoogi." The serpent-like monster smashes its way into downtown Los Angeles in the hopes of finding a girl destined to transform it into a dragon.

Director Shim, once touted as a pioneering comedian-turned-director, has been promoting the sophisticated computer graphics in an attempt to dispel any mistrust over the delay-plagued launch schedule.

Meanwhile, "Haebuhak gyoshil," which means "Anatomy Class" in Korean, is drawing public attention as a well-made horror films. Depicting mysterious deaths that originate in a human anatomy lab of a medical college, the film's sharp-edged visuals are said to be on par with big-budget Hollywood horror flicks. The film, directed by Son Tae-kyeong, is scheduled to be released on July 12.

But Korean filmmakers are widely expected to face an uphill battle in the second half of this year as well, as high quality and numerous Hollywood movies are set to hit local theaters. The most immediate threat is "Die Hard 4.0" (also known as "Live Free or Die Hard"), which is armed with plenty of action sequences, showcasing the trademark blockbuster features of the die-hard film franchise.

The movie, scheduled to be released on July 19 in Korea, is directed by Len Wiseman, and features Bruce Willis as action hero John McClane.

"The Simpsons Movie," set to hit the theaters here on Aug. 23, is also a strong contender for Korean filmmakers. The animation features arguably the most popular sitcom family in history. Even a number of Korean viewers are familiar with Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and their Springfield neighbors.

By Yang Sung-jin

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[bag.lover]

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(source: The Korea Herald 2007.07.10)
Drama reveals lives of Gangnam mothers

A sensitive dispute has been going on for a long time over the educational gap between the Gangnam and Gangbuk areas in Seoul, with students from Gangnam, or the district south of the Han River, showing better academic performance.

Secrets behind this phenomenon are being revealed through a TV drama that clearly discloses the powerful and adventurous lives of mothers in Gangnam who take every possible means to get their kids into the country's prestigious universities.

SBS primetime drama "Gangnam Mothers," which airs every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m., brings the secretive lives of extremely devoted Korean mothers to light with a touch of slight sarcasm and comedy. The drama, which also carries a number of sensitive issues involving the country's education policy and improper relationships between teachers and parents, became an early success by garnering a 16.6 percent share last week, according to TNS Media Research. The drama, however, has also stirred heated criticism that it has overly-parodied mothers in Gangnam.

"I wouldn't deny the fact the drama depicts a substantial amount of reality. But it still bothers me, because not every Gangnam mother is like that," said a mother living in Gangnam requesting anonymity. The producer of the drama said he never intended to make people in Gangnam look more superior or make comparison with mothers in Gangbuk (north of the river), and it was the reality that he wanted to show.

"Because the drama depicts reality, it makes viewers uncomfortable," said Hong Chang-wook, producer of the SBS primetime drama.

"Nobody blames if the drama deals with fantasy. The drama shows the problems with presenting gifts (money) to teachers for taking extra care of their children, describes the fall of the public education system and the rise of private education, hard-core mothers in Gangnam, and parents moving their houses to Gangam in order to offer the best education for kids. And these are certainly not fantasies," said Hong.

The drama tells the story of Hyun Min-ju (played by Ha Hee-ra,) an extremely devoted mother who moves to Gangnam to offer her son the best education in the country.

Min-ju is a hard-working woman -- working as a waitress in the afternoon and designated driver for hire at night -- who takes care of a son after her husband died of a tragic accident. Although her single parent status makes her struggle, when compared to other housewives driving expensive cars and wearing high-class fashion, she finds happiness when seeing her smart son who takes the top grades at his school even without attending any private education courses.

Min-ju never believed in the power of Gangnam education but decides to move to the area of the privileged after Jin-woo, her son, failed to get a good mark on an English test for which a lot of students from the Gangnam area demonstrated their superior language skills, developed by specialized classes in the area.

Although the two move to Gangnam, things don't get any easier. Experiencing an enormous financial gap, Min-ju fails to be a part of a group of Gangnam mothers. The group forms a secret team to separate their kids from other groups at a hagwon and specially organize classes according to their grades and parents' social ranks.

Min-ju's old high school friend Yoon Soo-mi (played by Im Sung-min) stands at the center of the secretive group and has two kids who are doing great in school. Although Min-ju nearly begs Soo-mi to let her in her circle, Soo-mi blocks her from being a part of the network. At the end, Min-ju declares war on Soo-mi, saying she will do better than her.

The drama is likely to stir up other controversies as it is scheduled to deal with sensitive issues, such as teachers manipulating grades in exchange for receiving bribes from parents, or the teacher evaluation system proposed by the government.

Asked about the intention of bringing up those contentious issues, the producer said: "It is to tell that there are other ways to be successful rather than sticking to the title of the university. I am ready to get fierce responses from viewers. But I did my best to portray the lives of Gangnam mothers by meeting teachers, mothers in the area as well as researching related information and documents involving the area."

Some viewers seem to have already understood the moral idea.

"Mothers will later realize what they were doing was just having a day dream. They may have succeeded in letting their kids enter one of the prestigious universities in the country, but what is really important is what happens after that. It is kids who decide what to do for their lives, not mothers," said a mother living in Gangnam, who has finished with her war after sending her two children to universities.

By Cho Chung-un

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[bag.lover]

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(source: BROasia 2007-07-09)
Kim Myung Min, "You can expect a different image from 'White Tower'"



Kim Myung Min who played a cold-hearted surgeon in 'White Tower' will be welcoming moviegoers on screen in a white gown once again.

A press conference for the movie 'Return' which is scheduled to open in theatres on August 9th starring Kim Myung Min was held in Seoul.

The movie is a mystery thriller about a child patient who becomes conscious during surgery despite being under anesthesia, and the events that occur 25 years after the child disappears from the hospital.

Kim Myung Min commented, "Only the occupation of the character is the same from 'White Tower' as I acted a doctor with a completely different personality."

The following is the response from Kim Myung Min in regards to a question asking about his second role as a doctor, and how is it different from 'White Tower.'

My style is to always review things thoroughly before making any decision, but 'Return' was the first piece I decided in a hurry. I decided to take the role one week prior to the crank in date. Only the occupation is the same as the character's personality, background, friends, and all situations are completely different. I was filming 'Return' first and 'White Tower' shoots overlapped for about three weeks. I played a rather strong cold-hearted image in 'White Tower' but this character in the movie if faithful to his family and very sincere to all the hospital employees. Because the two characters were contrastingly different, I decided to take the role in 'White Tower.' I have been able to let go of the 'White Tower' character now. (Kim Myung Min)

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Press conference of movie "Return" (July 9th, 2007)


(credit as labelled)

[bag.lover]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

..... The spotlight is on "Hwaryeohan hyuga," which roughly translates into "Colorful Holiday," a tale that centers on the Gwangju massacre of May 18, 1980 when troops sent by the military dictatorship killed hundreds of innocent citizens. The film, which cost about 10 billion won ($10.9 million) to make and is set to be released on July 26, portrays actual events leading up to the May 18 massacre, with the main character named Min-woo (Kim Sang-kyung) joining a citizen militia to protect demonstrators against government troops. Directed by Kim Ji-hoon, the film also stars well-known actors such as Ahn Sung-ki and teen idol Lee Jun-ki. Critics say that the film's realistic depiction of the tragic incident may renew interest in Korean films among audiences.

left-right: Kim Sang Kyung, Lee Yo Won, Lee Jun Ki, Ahn Sung Ki

(credit as labelled)

[bag.lover]

Title : Golden Bride
Broadcast Period: June 23, 2007~ (50 episodes)
Air Time: Saturday/Sunday at 8:45pm on SBS
Cast : Lee Young Ah, Hong Eun Hee, Kim Hee Chul, Han Yu Woon





Rating on the rise: Episode 1 (6/23; 9.9%), episode 2 (6/24; 13.3%), episode 3 (6/31; 11.3%), episode 4 (7/1; 21.6%)

(source: chosun)