Korean Drama

[bag.lover]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

SHINHWA Members: Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, Andy Lee

Press conference on March 30.







[images=chosun]

[bag.lover]

Box Office [Friday 2008.03.28 ~ Sunday 2008.03.30]

1. Awake (U.S.)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 211,154 / 245,459
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,411,939,000 / 1,602,724,000
Screen : 276
Opening Date : 2008/03/27
Director : Joby Harold
Main Cast : Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Lena Olin, Terrence Howard, Sam Robards

2. Fate (South Korea)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 163,798 / 715,928
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,113,111,000 / 4,750,669,000
Screen : 363
Opening Date : 2008/03/20
Director : Kim Hae-gon
Main Cast : Song Seung-heon, Kwon Sang-woo, Kim In-kwon, Park Han-byeol, Ji Seong

3. The Chaser (South Korea)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 158,528 / 4,687,322
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,071,349,500 / 31,391,199,000
Screen : 332
Opening Date : 2008/02/14
Director : Na Hong-jin
Main Cast : Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jeong-woo, Seo Yeong-hee

4. Step Up 2 The Streets (U.S.)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 130,277 / 901,596
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 849,749,500 / 5,895,321,000
Screen : 321
Opening Date : 2008/03/13
Director : Jon Chu
Main Cast : Briana Evigan, Adam G. Sevani, Mari Koda, Cassie , Telisha Shaw

5. The Other Boleyn Girl (U.K.)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 124,265 / 344,117
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 841,588,000 / 2,281,917,000
Screen : 172
Opening Date : 2008/03/20
Director : Justin Chadwick
Main Cast : Natalie Portman, Eric Bana, Scarlett Johansson, Tiffany Freisberg, Eddie Redmayne

6. 10,000 BC (U.S.)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 102,935 / 1,066,105
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 663,643,500 / 6,961,819,500
Screen : 308
Opening Date : 2008/03/13
Director : Roland Emmerich
Main Cast : Steven Strait, Camilla Belle, Marco Khanlian, Cliff Curtis, Nathanael Baring, Timothy Barlow

7. Dan In Real Life (U.S.)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 75,077 / 96,412
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 508,642,000 / 613,240,500
Screen : 216
Opening Date : 2008/03/27
Director : Peter Hedges
Main Cast : Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, John Mahoney, Emily Blunt

8. Death Defying Acts (U.K., Australia)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 71,775 / 85,234
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 479,634,500 / 551,293,500
Screen : 280
Opening Date : 2008/03/27
Director : Gillian Armstrong
Main Cast : Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Frankey Martyn, Timothy Spall, MacKay Crawford

9. Amazing Grace (U.S., U.K.)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 25,534 / 91,437
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 172,203,000 / 595,709,500
Screen : 68
Opening Date : 2008/03/20
Director : Michael Apted
Main Cast : Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai

10. The Water Horse : Legend Of The Deep (U.S., U.K.)
3-day Adm / Total Adm : 22,119 / 68,969
Gross / Total Gross (won) : 136,722,000 / 410,657,500
Screen : 56
Opening Date : 2008/03/20
Director : Jay Russell
Main Cast : Emily Watson, Ben Chaplin, Alex Etel, David Morrissey, Geraldine Brophy

Source: KOFIC


'Fate' [image=edaily]

[bag.lover]

Originally Posted by bag.lover

Box Office [Friday 2008.03.28 ~ Sunday 2008.03.30] 1. Awake (U.S.) 3-day Adm / Total Adm : 211,154 / 245,459 Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,411,939,000 / 1,602,724,000 Screen : 276 Opening Date : 2008/03/27 Director : Joby Harold Main Cast : Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Lena Olin, Terrence Howard, Sam Robards 2. Fate (South Korea) 3-day Adm / Total Adm : 163,798 / 715,928 Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,113,111,000 / 4,750,669,000 Screen : 363 Opening Date : 2008/03/20 Director : Kim Hae-gon Main Cast : Song Seung-heon, Kwon Sang-woo, Kim In-kwon, Park Han-byeol, Ji Seong 3. The Chaser (South Korea) 3-day Adm / Total Adm : 158,528 / 4,687,322 Gross / Total Gross (won) : 1,071,349,500 / 31,391,199,000 Screen : 332 Opening Date : 2008/02/14 Director : Na Hong-jin Main Cast : Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jeong-woo, Seo Yeong-hee

(Source: Korea Herald 2008-03-06)

Deluge of foreign films drowning Korean releases

...
In fact, the March-April period is traditionally a slow movie season as the key audience -- college students -- is largely busy taking care of back-to-school affairs.

Exacerbating the problem is the reluctance of local production houses who want to push back the release date of their forthcoming movies in order to avoid the slow season. For the March-April period, only seven local movies are scheduled to hit theaters, significantly down from 16 in the same period last year.

For March, only three Korean titles are expected to fill up the slots. "My New Partner," a sort of buddy-and-detective movie featuring Ahn Sung-ki and Jo Han-sun is being released today nationwide, while "Humming," a romantic flick staring Lee Chan-hee and Han Ji-hye, is slated for March 13 and "Fate," a tale of betrayal where Song Seung-heon and Kwon Sang-woo compete for the spotlight, is set to be released on March 20. ...

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My New Partner [2008/03/06]
Opening Weekend (Friday-Sunday) Admission: 129,985
Total Admission (up to 2008/03/30): 261,874

Humming [2008/03/13]
Opening Weekend (Friday-Sunday) Admission: 49,164
Total Admission (up to 2008/03/30): 98,871

Fate [2008/03/20]
Opening Weekend (Friday-Sunday) Admission: 356,776
Total Admission (up to 2008/03/30): 713,750

[source: Box Office figures from KOFIC/KOBIS]

[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Herald 2008-03-31)
Be dazzled by the creme-de-la-creme of jewels

Everyone knows diamonds are a girl's best friend. And now, prestigious jewelry houses Van Cleef and Arpels and Tiffany and Co., take us on a journey through the fascinating and dazzling history of these enchanting baubles.

Both exhibitions are blindingly beautiful. But Van Cleef and Arpels combines price (admission is free), pieces and history together into a more attractive package.

Located in the main building of the Shinsegae Department Store near Myeongdong, Van Cleef and Arpels' exhibition showcases approximately 200 pieces in eight rooms.

From their legendary Mystery Setting jewelry to the "Grace Kelly" tiara, this exhibit reminds visitors as to why Van Cleef and Arpels is one of the world's top jewelry houses.

Particularly eye-catching is their 1937 Peony Clip, created with the Mystery Setting technique.

Patented in 1933 by Van Cleef and Arpels, this technique places tiny little rectangles of jewels, like rubies and emeralds, onto a delicate metal grid frame. And voila, not a bit of metal in sight, just a pure field of glittering gems.

Jeweler Gregory Weinstock, who participated in the exhibition for the first three days, demonstrated how Van Cleef and Arpels work their magic. This petite man, in his pristine white lab coat, held up their "curtain" necklace, a piece in the making.

The movable curtain of rubies and diamonds, swirls and hangs around the chain. The entire curtain uses the Mystery Setting, and is a three-dimensional grid onto which Weinstock painstakingly slides small rubies.

"All the secrets are there," Weinstock, 37, explained. "You can't see any metal between the stones ... with the door we open, slide and then close. Then it is finished."

Weinstock demonstrates, opening a little trap door in the grid, sliding a set of delicate rubies on, before closing the door. According to Weinstock, making the metal frame for the curtain took 600 hours, and cutting the rubies took 400 hours.

Everything is hand-crafted and exclusively made.

"Just one design for each piece," said Patrice Leguereau, 37, coordinator of the Department of Creation for Van Cleef and Arpels.

Leguereau, also in Seoul for the first three days of the exhibition, heads a team of six jewelry designers. And was delicately sketching and painting the exquisite curtain necklace last Friday in the third room of the exhibition space.

If Van Cleef and Arpels isn't enough to satiate your thirst for these sparkling treasures, a trip on over to the extensive Tiffany exhibition will be sure to satisfy.

With over 10 massive rooms worth of jewels, "The Jewels of Tiffany 1837-2007," overwhelms with 170 years worth of jewelry.

From the Empress Eugenie Brooch, given to the French empress by Napoleon III, to the famed "Bird on a Rock," one of the world's largest and finest fancy yellow diamonds, visitors are treated to an opulent display of gems.

This prestigious American jewelry house exhibition presents the seed-pearl jewelry suite given by President Abraham Lincoln to his wife in 1862. The little tiered-ovals of delicate, glowing pearls, set in 12K gold, drew a throng of females the day the exhibition opened.

Though not as historically significant, Louis Comfort Tiffany's "Fringe Necklace" proves that bigger is not necessarily better.

The first design director of Tiffany and Co. and son of founder Charles Lewis Tiffany created a lovely lacing of green, violet and pomegranate. Clearly influenced by Indian art, Comfort Tiffany's early design balances the brilliant yellow of 18K gold and colorful gems with a delicate and intricately patterned setting.

The only downside to the collection is the oppressively dark space that it is displayed in. After walking through 10 pitch black rooms, visitors will breathe a sigh of relief when they hit the ambient gift shop located at the end of the exhibition.

"The Jewels of Tiffany 1837-2007" runs through June 8 at the Seoul Arts Center Hangaram Design Museum. To get there go to Nambu Bus Terminal Station Line 3, Exit 5. The museum is a five minute walk away. Tickets cost 12,000 won for adults, 8,000 won for adolescents and 6,000 won for children. Opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information call (02) 3471-3641 or visit www.Tiffany170years.com

"An Exhibition of Exceptional Pieces from the Van Cleef and Arpels Museum Collection" runs through April 4 at the Culture Hall, located on the 10th floor of the Shinsegae Department Store's main building. Admission is free. To get there go to Hoehyeon Subway Station Line 4. For more information call (02) 310-1586.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com)

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[bag.lover]

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* BEETHOVEN VIRUS *

MAIN CAST: Kim Myung-min (White Tower, Bad Family, The Immortal Yi Soon-shin, More Beautiful Than A Flower), Lee Ji-ah (Legend)
PD: Lee Jae-gyu (Damo, Fashion 70's)
SCRIPT: Hong Jin-ah & Hong Ja-ram (Taereung National Village, Over the Rainbow)
BROADCAST STATION: MBC
EPISODES: 16
START: ~July 2008
BROADCAST TIME:


[image=mydaily]

Original Korean Article: Korea Ilbo 2008/03/27 03:26:14
English Translation Credit: Dahee Fanel

Actor Kim Myung Min, Grabs the 'Baton' Instead of the 'Scalpel'

Kim Myung Min will be making his comeback to the small screen in the 16-episode MBC miniseries "Beethoven Virus" (Script Hong Jin Ah, Hong Ja Ram; PD Lee Jae Gyu), set to air in July.

Kim Myung Min will be playing Kang Gun Woo, an orchestra conductor in his 40's. His character is an elite conductor with a very bad reputation, and who will do absolutely anything in order to create the very best music. But due to his self-righteous and stubborn personality that makes him think only his thoughts are correct, he is unable to form good relationships with those around him. Also, he is an elite conductor who insists that classical music is made for nobility only.

Gun Woo is a 'workaholic' and has a very troublesome personality, and thus seems similar to the character of Jang Joon Hyuk in the drama "White Tower". Kim Myung Min has gotten the opportunity to harden his acting skills by playing another unique character. "Beethoven Virus" draws the story of people who've been abandoned by music, and have abandoned music themselves, and who create an orchestra and encounter many difficulties. This story will be based on the popular Japanese manga "Nodamae Cantabille", and will concentrate on classical music.

The script is by the Hong Jin Ah-Hong Ja Ram sisters, who wrote "Taereung National Village" and "Over the Rainbow", and the PD is Lee Jae Gyu, who directed "Damo" and "Fashion 70s".

[Korea Ilbo * Lee Hyun Ah]

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[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Times 04-01-2008 16:58)
Director Jieho Lee Returns With Movie

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter


Korean-American director Jieho Lee, left, and wife, actress Kim Min, appear before the press in Seoul Tuesday to promote his Hollywood debut "The Air I Breathe." The star-studded film opens across theaters April 9. / Korea Times Photo by Lee Hyo-won

Korean-American director Jieho Lee was better known in Korea for marrying star actress Kim Min, but recently made headlines near and far by making his feature film debut with five of Hollywood's top stars. Before "The Air I Breathe'' opens across theaters here April 9, the 35-year-old met with the press Tuesday at a hotel in northern Seoul.

Lee expressed thanks for a warm reception, speaking in a mixture of Korean and English. "Working in Hollywood was a blessing and I had a lot of luck. There's no set path,'' he said.
"It took me a very long time. (Hollywood is) a very closed society and it's hard to break into that. The first thing that was important was that I wrote a script people responded to,'' he said.

"Air'' is an omnibus-type film that explores four basic human emotions through four characters: happiness (Forest Whitaker), pleasure (Brendan Fraser), sorrow (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and love (Kevin Bacon). Andy Garcia, Lee's "favorite character,'' stars as a notorious mobster named Fingers, who somehow brings everyone together.

He said the story was inspired by the old Asian proverb "huinoaerak'' or joy, anger, sorrow and pleasure. It's also like a noir version of "The Wizard of Oz'' as the four characters embark on a journey to find their identity.

Born in New York, he said he has strong Korean and American roots. His grandparents, the first Korean students in the United States, studied at Princeton in 1888 and had their pictures taken with President Woodrow Wilson. Lee's father instilled in him a strong sense of Korean identity. He came to Korea to work in the music industry, and kept a journal of all the people he met.

"These (characters) are all based on people I've met in Korea. They're mirrors in my own discoveries,'' he said.

Lee studied filmmaking at Wesleyan University, New York University and in Israel as part of a study abroad program. After shooting commercials in New York and music videos in Seoul, he started touring the international film circuit with his award-winning short "A Nursery Tale'' (1999).

He wrote the script for "Air'' in 2003. But because it was not a genre film, Lee had to devise a different strategy to get funding. He said he sent the script to as many producers as possible, and fortunately all 10 liked it. Five were willing to pitch in, including big names such as Lawrence Bender (who produces Quentin Tarantino films) and John Woo. He finally teamed up with Paul Schiffer, a college alumnus.

He then spent over two years on casting, meeting scores of actors from Justin Timberlake to Forest Whitaker. "I was lucky but also very prepared. I drew storyboards, had my musical inspiration and did research on every single actor I'd met down to their dog's name,'' he said.

He finally built a dream cast, but it was a low budget project (6 billion won of which half went in guarantees) and schedules kept getting delayed. "It was a difficult, lonely process. I thought I was going crazy and (wondered) what I was doing with my life. But we had people who believed in it,'' he said. "You have to work very hard but you definitely need luck, and we had a lot of blessings.''

But when the camera finally started rolling, it was a nightmare. "We had a 29-day shoot and over 50 location changes. It was madness. We were running everywhere. It was so crazy. I think I got sick because I didn't sleep at all,'' he said.

Like in his short film, Lee makes a quick appearance in the film. "It was because of our tight budget,'' he said, and his entire crew, including the cinematographer and executive producer, had to play minor roles.

Released earlier in the U.S., "Air'' received rave reviews. "This world is getting smaller because this kind of structure is appealing to a lot of people. We're different but all related somehow,'' he said.

Lee's wife Kim made a special appearance in the pressroom, setting off a blinding tide of camera flashes.

"This movie was long in the making, like a baby. Speaking of which, we had a baby and I am very glad to bring her home,'' she said in her first visit to Seoul since tying the knot in 2006. Kim met her husband while shooting the hit TV drama "Love Story in Harvard.'' "My manager wanted me to go to Hollywood, and I sure did,'' she smiled about living in California.

She said their seven-month old daughter is the exact image of her husband, to which Lee said "we're doomed (that she looks like me),'' drawing laughter from the room. On a more serious note, Kim expressed how much pain was involved in the making of "Air.'' During the shoot in Mexico, Lee contracted a case of shingles. Undergoing surgery and unable to use his eyes for several days, he was on the verge of giving up. But he was able to complete the remaining third of the shoot in a wheelchair.

"I'm not supposed to talk about this,'' he said discreetly. "I cried when Min got here... I feel blessed because she was supporting me but all the actors felt ownership. The director is important, but collaboration is most important. Andy Garcia was most difficult to cast but by then he had built his trust and told everyone, `Jieho goes off a cliff, we all go off with him,' '' he said.

Regarding possible film collaborations as a couple, Kim said "in Hollywood you see couples break up after working together, so we decided not to work together,'' sending laughs across the room.

As for future plans, Lee said he is in the "early developmental stage'' of remaking the gritty street story "A Dirty Carnival'' (2006) starring Zo In-sung. Korean-American writer/producer Doug Jung ("Confidence,'' 2003) will be writing the script and the producer of "National Treasure'' may become involved.

" It's too early to say anything yet. It's a beautiful story and if it comes together then I would want to try my best to preserve the integrity of the original and do it justice,'' he said. ''Honestly, I'm just beginning, I definitely feel lucky but I have a long road ahead and a lot to do and a lot to learn,'' he said.

hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr

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[bag.lover]

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"Speed Racer" Rain Favors Hong Kong
2008-04-02 10:44:27 CRIENGLISH.com


South Korean actor Jung Ji-hoon (R), also known as Rain, is seen in a scene from "Speed Racer." The star has announced an April 23 visit to Hong Kong to promote his first Hollywood film. [File Photo: mtime.com]

South Korean singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon, also known as Rain, has announced an April 23 visit to Hong Kong to promote his first Hollywood film, "Speed Racer."

The pan-Asian star chose Hong Kong as the only Asian stop on his promotional itinerary out of his love for the city, Web site Sina.com.cn reported on Wednesday.

"Speed Racer," a work by "The Matrix" directors the Wachowski brothers, is slated to open in Hong Kong and North America in early May.

Jung plays a rookie racer in the live-action film adaptation of a Japanese animation. The film also stars award-winning Chinese actress Yu Nan as Jung's sister, and Hollywood stars, including Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, and Matthew Fox.

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[bag.lover]

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Source: Javabeans

“Friend” gets the drama treatment
April 1st, 2008 // by javabeans



Huh. They’re remaking the 2001 film Friend [친구 Chingu] — starring superstar Jang Dong Gun — into a drama??

The original film had earned widespread praise, both domestically and internationally, as well as breaking records with its more than 8 million tickets sold. It was, at the time, the top-grossing Korean film ever. The film solidified Jang Dong Gun’s place as an A-list star, as well as elevating the fame of his co-star Yoo Oh Sung.

And now they want to revisit Friend in television-serial form. Although it’s still early (current status is in the synopsis-writing stage), interest is gathering with the announcement that Kwak Kyung Taek, who directed the film version, will be directing the drama series as well. Be forewarned, though; the drama is said to “convey a different vibe from the movie.” Not quite sure what that means. Casting is not yet confirmed, although no doubt they’ll be looking around for a suitably well-known lead actor to fill Jang Dong Gun’s shoes.

Via My Daily

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS Global 2008-04-02)
Lee Jun-ki Chosen as New Model for Pepsi



Popular Korean actor Lee Jun-ki has been chosen as the new model for Pepsi Cola in China along with other young Asian celebrities including Jolin and Louis Koo of Hong Kong.

Lee's management agency said Pepsi chose the Korean actor as its new model for Chinese-speaking countries for his popularity in the region, which was clearly demonstrated during his recent promotional tour in Hong Kong and China. Singer Rain was a former Pepsi model for Chinese-speaking regions.

On April 1, Lee attended a Pepsi Family press event held in Hong Kong. The management agency said Lee signed a one-year contract with Pepsi and that the earnings from the contract is equivalent to that of top celebrities.

The commercial was filmed in February. Although the shooting took place behind closed doors, numerous fans flocked to the site to get a glimpse of Lee.

Lee also signed a shampoo commercial contract with China and is currently shooting a brand new SBS drama that will start airing in mid-May.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS Global 2008-04-02)
Singer Kang Ta Begins Military Duty in Euijeongbu



Singer Kang Ta (29) officially began his military duties on April 1 in Euijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province.

Kang Ta held a farewell concert for his fans at the Main Hall of Yonsei University late last month. The day he was stationed at his military base, Kang Ta, showing off a short crew cut, said goodbye to his fans and said he will diligently fulfill his military duties.

Korean fans as well as Japanese, Chinese and Thai fans flocked to the military base to say goodbye to their favorite singer. Fellow members of group S, Shin Hye-sung and Lee Ji-hoon, as well as singer Kim Min-jong, also a member of SM Entertainment, were on hand to wish good luck to their friend.

Kang Ta is the third member of H.O.T--after Moon Hee-joon and Jang Woo-hyuk--to begin his military duty.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS Global 2008-04-01)
Super Junior Hangeng Most Stylish Star in China



Hangeng, a member of the popular idol group Super Junior, has been chosen as the most stylish star in China.

According to Super Junior's management agency, SM Entertainment, Hangeng received the Most Stylish Male Artist Award at the '2007 Entertainment Awards' held in Beijing on March 30. He also announced the recipient of the Best New Artist Award.

Upon receiving the award, Hangeng said he would like to share the honor with his staff members and fans. He also promised to keep up his style for his fans.

During the ceremony, female Chinese artist Zhang Liyin, a member of SM Entertainment who debuted in China in late Feruary, performed her dance number 'One More Try.' The upbeat number cheers on the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has been getting a favorable response.

The annual ceremony hands out awards to artists and production companies in seven different categories: film, drama, music, fashion, theater, charity and special service. Top Chinese celebrities, including actress Zhao Wei and singer Alan Tam, attended the event.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: KBS Global 2008-04-02)
Director Lee Isaac Jung to be Sponsored by Cannes Film Festival



Korean-American director Lee Isaac Jung, who received international acclaim for "Munyurangabo," a film which sheds light on the reality of post-civil war Rwanda, has been chosen to direct a project sponsored by the Cannes Film Festival (May 12-May 25).

The organizing committee of the film festival said it has selected 15 projects from 14 countries around the world as the recipient of this year's Cinefondation Atelier funds.

Of the 15, two are American films, including director Jung's "Lucky Life" and Brandon King's "Here." Asian films include Chinese director Lou Ye's "Bitch" and "Beauty," Taiwanese director Arvin Chen's "First Page Taipei" and Vietnamese director Phan Dang Di's "Bi, Don't Be Afraid."

The Cannes Film Festival launched the Cinefondation Atelier in 2005 to sponsor outstanding young directors from around the world.

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[bag.lover]

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(source: CHOSUN Apr.2,2008 08:58 KST)
Prim Actress Gets Messy in New TV Ad

Actress Kim Tae-hee has become the talk of the town with a commercial in which she appears with no make-up. The commercial for Olympus Korea emphasizes Kim's natural side. Sporting a mane of untidy hair as if she just woke up, she curls her lips, plays with a teddy bear, frowns, and sucks a lollipop.

The commercial has received a strong response because it shows another side of the actress, who has used the fact that she is intelligent and refined as a graduate of the prestigious Seoul National University to appeal to the public.



The second part of the commercial aired recently following the first segment which debuted early last month. Internet users responded favorably, saying it's good to see the "ordinary side" of the normally more polished actress. "The commercial makes Kim look like one of the people around us. I suddenly came to like her," a user wrote.

With the positive response, it's no surprise that the commercial took the top spot in the electric and electronics category of the TV commercial popularity rankings only 10 days after the first episode aired.

An industry source said that with interest in the second episode also exploding soon after its release, the company is considering creating two more commercials in the same series.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

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[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Herald 2008.04.03)
Korean Wave seminar to open in America

The East Asian Forum and Review is hosting a seminar on the Korean Wave this Friday at the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

As part of a series of seminars based on the theme "Perceptions of/within East Asia," this upcoming seminar focuses on the sudden surge of interest in Korean popular culture that has affected not only East Asia but also the broader Asian region and America.

The seminar will address issues regarding the Korean Wave, trying to answer the following questions: Why has it been so successful? What transformations has the Korean Wave gone through? And how do other societies perceive the Hallyu phenomenon?

Four speakers will address these issues through a discussion panel at the upcoming seminar.

The discussion panel will be led by Charles Armstrong, Korea Foundation professor of Korean studies and director of the Center for Korean Research at Columbia University.

A specialist in the modern history of Korea and East Asia, Armstrong has released publications on modern Korean history, East Asia's international history and U.S.-Korean relations.

Other participants in the discussion are Robert Cagle, Lee Ji-hong and John Nihoff.

Cagle is a library cinema studies specialist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an assistant professor of cinema studies. He has done extensive work on Korean dramas and the Korean Wave.

Lee is the international relations manager for the Korean Cultural Service New York, which is operated by Korea's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Lee has been in charge of public and media relations since 2005.

Nihoff has worked as professor at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America for over 15 years. Recently he served as a judge on the food program "Iron Chef America" for the Asian cuisine competition. He has also served as the keynote speaker at the National Press Club on a "Taste of Korea."

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldm.com)

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[bag.lover]

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(source: Korea Herald 2008.04.03)
[THE HIGH TIDE OF THE KOREAN WAVE(29)]Hallyu icon Park Yong-ha basks in newfound stardom



The professional singer and actor reveals what it takes to be a success

The man is a professional.

It's just another day of filming for Hallyu star Park Yong-ha. On his way to shoot yet another scene for the hit SBS series "On Air," the actor passes by in a burgundy sweatshirt. His face is set and serious, like he is getting into character.

For though he rose to stardom as a singer, Park, 30, is serious about his craft. After five years of running the singing circuit in Japan, he's back in town to show Korea and the rest of the world that he still has the goods.

"Even though he has had over ten years of acting experience Park said 'I am not a great actor yet. I need to work harder to become a real actor,'" a representative of Park Yong-ha's current management company stated. "Park wanted to hone his acting skills. So he did two months of one-on-one acting lessons."

After five years without acting, unless you count his brief stints in two Japanese dramas, Park knew he was a bit rusty. But his decision to prep for his upcoming role as the brash and confident producer in "On Air" reflects more than just good judgment.

"This Hallyu star's five year struggle to the top in Japan really shows through in his acting," said an "On Air" production team representative.

Paying his dues

Park didn't rocket to stardom. He worked his way up, step by step. His current Hallyu star title is a hard-earned one.

For some, it may look like Park got an easy one-up because he starred in the highly successful melodrama "Winter Sonata." While there's no denying that it helped him make it in Japan, it by no means made him who he is today.

Looking back on his career, one can see nothing but a long string of successes. A total of 10 hit albums and singles, four consecutive Japan Gold Disc Awards and a packed concert at the prestigious Budokan Hall in Tokyo make him a pioneer in the world of Hallyu entertainment.

He can say, without shame, that he was the second Korean singer (after Cho Yong-pil) to perform at the Budokan. He is also the only Korean pop artist to hold the title of four consecutive wins at the Gold Disc Awards.

None of this happened overnight. Park is here to let people in on how he got to where he is now and where he wants to go next.

Big in Japan

It's late, a little past 6 p.m. and he has just finished up filming. Park looks alert, calm, composed. There is something delicate about him, the way he purses his lips, narrows his dark eyes. Yet he is clearly masculine -- his set jaw and his built shoulders confirm that.

Before the interview begins, he asks an assistant to bring in two cups of coffee. Every bit the gentleman, he offers up a cup first before taking his own cup of joe.

When the first question is asked, "How did you become a singer in Japan?" The actor-turned-singer smiles and waits before answering, slowly, in a deep voice.

"After 'Winter Sonata,' I was invited to visit (Japan)," said Park in an interview with The Korea Herald. "I sang there. Then afterwards, I was invited again and they said, 'Would you be interested in recording an album?'"

He took them up on their offer and began work on an album. But before he began recording he needed to work on his vocals. Singing was not his forte. Although he sang the hit theme song for the Korean drama "All In," up until that moment Park had worked as an actor, not a singer.

"Since I wasn't a singer to begin with, vocal training was a given," said the Hallyu star. "And then I became a professional singer for the first time in my life, and worked as a singer for about four to five years."

After a relatively short period of training, Park officially debuted in the summer of 2004 with his first Japanese album "Ki Byul." From there on out the actor-turned-singer cranked out one song after another.

"You know the saying, 'It happens in the blink of an eye?' That was how much work I had," said Park. "I was so busy that there wasn't enough time to practice. I kept releasing albums and holding concerts."

Park says this very matter-of-factly. But recording five single albums and five full-length albums within four to five years is no easy feat.

And if cranking out two albums annually doesn't sound difficult enough, try doing it in a foreign language.

"I had no choice but to learn the language in the beginning, because only one manager from the Korean management company accompanied me," Park explained. "The only way to communicate was if I spoke. So I learned Japanese from when I first debuted."

For Park, picking up the language was just the beginning of a painful learning process. He had to pick up the culture too.

"Honestly, in the beginning I didn't know much," he said. "It took me about one to two years to realize, 'Oh, this is what I need.'"

Lost in translation

During those first few years, Park found himself having to improvise and struggle with language and culture barriers. And for him, all those times spent on Japanese talk shows were some of the most painful moments during his career as a Hallyu star.

Before relating his early talk show experiences, the actor pauses, fingering his chin. He seems to be debating whether or not to talk about it.

"Yes, you could say that this is a painful memory for me," he leans forward, eyes focused and intent. "In a situation where I didn't know the culture and the language well -- while they do translate -- when a talk show gets underway, it's hard for everything to be fully translated."

For a moment he looks away. Maybe he's recalling the whole situation. The host, the audience, him, in a foreign country, with no one but a translator to depend on. It reads like the scene from "Lost in Translation," when Bill Murray guest stars in a Japanese talk show.

"And after I said something, they would laugh," Park continued. "They would laugh together, amongst themselves. I really hated that moment, that moment of laughter. I had no idea what they were saying, but since they were laughing I had to join in, otherwise it would look kind of weird."

To clarify, Park describes a possible talk show scenario.

"For example, in Japanese, they might ask, jokingly, 'Did you come here from Korea just to make money?'" He explains. "If I understood what they were saying, then I would be able to answer in return. But since I can't, I have no choice but to laugh. And they wouldn't know that I didn't get it, since there's a translator. And they might think, 'What is he doing? He's acting like a fool.'"

He stops and stresses that this isn't a real-life event. It's just an example.

"So when I go out on a talk show and a situation like that occurs," he continues, "Then I just have to laugh."

"When I laugh at that moment," he inhales sharply before going on. "It leaves a sour taste in my mouth. While I'm laughing, I start sweating and thinking, 'What did they just say?' But I've already laughed. I can't ask the translator, 'What did they say?'"

Just thinking about it takes the smile off his face.

"While I worked in Japan, these sorts of things, kind of, made me sad," he adds. "And this isn't just Japan, anywhere abroad is the same."

Park seems to be referring to the world in general, but he might as well be talking about Taiwan, China, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Uzbekistan, where his other Hallyu fans are.

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