The Korean romantic comedy 200 Pound Beauty starring actress Kim Ah-jung entered the country's accumulated top ten box office hit list on its 42nd day of release.
Production agency KM Culture says 5.83 million moviegoers watched the movie since it opened on December 14th, moving it past the 2000 hit Joint Security Area, which previously held the tenth ranking.
Showing on 250 screens nationwide with daily average ticket sales of 50,000, the film is expected to surpass the 6.12 million viewership of the ninth-ranked My Boss, My Hero by Saturday.
With a break-even point of 2.3 million, 200 Pounds Beauty has already earned profits of 15 billion won. Excluding investors' stake, the production company will get five billion of the 15 billion. The original soundtrack released online also raked in some two billion won for close to a handsome four billion total earnings for KM Culture. Source: KBS Global
doozy: I'm definitely looking forward to watching this movie. Why? Because 1) success at the box office does say something about the quality of the movie and 2) Joo Jin Mo is gorgeous.
Remember the blog entry I posted a couple days ago about LDH's new drama Pride? Well, it turns out that she has rejected the role. So those who miss seeing her onscreen, like myself, will have to wait a little longer.
Just a quick hello to everyone! I'm going out to dinner tonight and I'm doing a second marathon of Fantasy Couple during the weekend. Heehee. Thus, updates will resume next week.
I stumbled across this article while browsing the Hwang Jin Yi thread at soompi. Do take a look as there are some very insightful comments that I agree with. Also, if you haven't checked out Hwang Jin Yi, I highly recommend it. I love this drama. It's one of the best dramas of 2006/2007.
Special thanks to rubie for posting the article.
Sometimes, it's good to be proved wrong By: Chun Su Jin sujiney@joongang.co.kr
There are times when I feel glad to learn that I was wrong. I used to guess that my 30s would be an end to my fun because of my favorite poem, "Hitting Your 30s and the Party Is Over." However, I'm glad that I was wrong, because, voila, I'm officially a 30-something now and the party has just begun. Also, I used to jeer at made-in-Korea TV dramas for their love of such cliches as a lead character suffering amnesia or some kind of an incurable disease. However, I found myself proved wrong again last year, especially with a bundle of well-made TV dramas by A-1 scriptwriters like Noh Hee-gyeong of Good-bye Solo and A Miracle and Kim Do-u of What Are You Doing, Fox?
Speaking of Noh Hee-gyeong, whom I have called "Mr." in my past few columns, I have to correct myself as she is Ms. Noh. And I, who love being a woman, am immensely glad to say that we have another talented woman on the TV scene. After wrongly changing the gender of Ms. Noh, I had a call to correct me from a reader. Allow me to express my gratitude for her kindness to take the trouble to find my cell phone number and give me the right information. I have no excuse but to say I'm sorry about my mistake.
I was recently glad again to see my prejudices proved wrong by the TV history drama Hwang Jin-yi, which ended last week on KBS-TV. It told the story of Hwang Jin-yi, who was a legendary gisaeng of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). The gisaeng were a class of women who were allowed to learn arts including literature, dance, music and conversation, in order to entertain noble men during drinking parties. In the strictly Confucian society of the time, becoming a gisaeng was the only way for a woman to be allowed to study and display such talents.
The first few episodes appeared to be nothing more than picture-perfect "Welcome to Korea" style publicity material to promote tourism to Korea, as the drama showed picturesque scenes of the country with a group of beautiful women dressed in spectacular traditional clothes. However, as the story developed, the drama earned kudos for depicting the life of Hwang Jin-yi from a feminist perspective.
Based on bits and pieces of stories about the character, the drama built up the story of Hwang Jin-yi and her rivalry with her mentor and her contemporary gisaeng. In describing the rivalry, this drama did not rely on the cheap sure-fire strategy of a catfight, but instead, brought a spirit of professionalism to the gisaeng characters, as they refused to be called mere courtesans but artists. The rivalry between the characters was dramatic enough to catch viewers' eyes, as the characters fought to compete in terms of talent, which they cultivated through harsh training.
The lead character Hwang's mentor, Baekmu, had an icy cold attitude to her pupil yet still fostered her talent and professionalism. When Hwang Jin-yi faced a crisis, her rival, Buyong, asked around for help to save her life, with due respect for their rivalry-turned-friendship. Then they fight elegantly to pit their artistic talents against each other. There is a certain beauty to a catfight when the fighters are not mere kittens but fully-grown tigresses with both respect for each other and professionalism.
Another point of the drama was that the male characters played only minor roles. One symbolic scene in this sense came in the second-to-last episode, when Hwang Jin-yi told the love of her life, a noble man, to give her up, saying, "It's better to shine in our own lives, instead of withering away slowly for each other and giving up our dreams and passions." This was just one of many punch lines in the drama, which is now sorely missed on KBS-TV. However, now that we have a whole new year ahead of us, I'm keeping my fingers crossed to be able to see better-made dramas from now on. Happy New Year! Source: INSIDE JoongAng Daily
Lee Da Hae, Ryu Jin and Go Joo Won will be co-starring together in KBS March drama Pride (temp name) which will air after When Spring Comes ends on the 12th of march.
Pride (temp name) will be adapted from a novel Kimchi Madu and the drama will be filmed at farms & rural places where the story is set on.
Pride
Airing Date 12th March
Airing Station KBS
Actors/Actresses Lee Da Hae, Ryu Jin, Go Joo Won
No. of Episodes 16
Outline Flower nursery/Hwa Ahn Dang owner, Soo Ha (Lee Da Hae) who is trying to save the place from being bankrupt, meets Dong Gyu (Ryu Jin) and Chang Min (Go Joo Won) who are the grandsons of a wealthy man who had worked a long time at Hwa Ahn Dang before. Together with a crazy woman's daughter 'Hwa Ran', they get involve into a dangerous love story.
News and information courtesy of yeohweping @ WITH S2
What am I reacting to? The 79th Oscars nomination. I am shocked and disappointed about several things.
First, The King and the Clown is not nominated for best foreign language film but Pan's Layrinth is?! So let me get this straight. The dialogue of the entry just needs to be in a foreign language, regardless of whether it's an American production team behind the movie?
Secondly, if The Departed wins for Best Picture, I might boycott American award shows and film critics.
My other thoughts on this issue are in agreement with those of a fellow blogger. Read her post here.
Park Kun Hyung is selected to lead the Monday-Tuesday drama When Spring Comes scheduled to be aired by KBS2 in January, 2007, following the final episode of Queen of Snow.
He plays the role Lee Jung Do whose grandfather and father were legendary thieves. Even so, he overcomes this obstacle, passes law exams, and becomes a prosecutor. His costars include Park Shi Yun, Lee Ha Na, and Lee Han. The filming is scheduled to begin in November. PKH's previous drama was Miss Kim's One Million Dollar Project aired by SBS in 2004. He also performed in movies Innocent Steps and Mr. Wacky. Translation by: CindyW88 Graphics by: Luv
Previous works of other cast members Lee Ha Na- Alone in Love Park Shi Yeon- My Girl Lee Han- Lovers, Goodbye Solo
doozy: Lee Ha Na impressed me in Alone in Love so I'm excited because she's the lead actress in this drama. Plus, there's also Park Shi Yeon; My Girl support, ya know. I saw the first episode and it's not bad. Looking forward to watching more of it.
The movie My Father drew attention even before it started shooting because it stars the half-Korean heartthrob Daniel Henney. The film follows a Korean adopted by an American family who comes to Korea to seek out his biological parents, only to find that his father is on death row.
Henney plays James, who volunteers to join the U.S. Forces Korea as a way to find his biological parents. On the first day of shooting on Jan. 10, he successfully shed his gentlemanly image for his role as the young adopted man who slowly opens his heart to his jailed father. "I will try hard to use my personal experience of living in the U.S. to play James, who has lived his life feeling estranged as an adopted child," Henney said.
My Father is the feature debut of director Hwang Dong-hyeuk, who attracted plaudits at home and abroad with his short film Miracle Mile starring Karl Yune. Kim Young-chol plays Henney’s father. (englishnews@chosun.com ) Source: english.chosun.com
doozy: Wow. Daniel Henney is busy these days, with one project after another. Good for him! I wonder if his acting and Korean have improved. Has anyone seen Seducing Mr. Robin?
The Korean actress Moon Geun-young, dubbed the "nation's little sister," is seeing her fame extend beyond her native country. Wire agency Reuters recently published an article on Moon titled "South Korea's Little Sister Wants to Grow Up," which was picked up by newspapers in the U.S., U.K, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Taiwan. This proves her potential to rise to world stardom.
Reuters reports that Moon, with her sweet and innocent image, is "the country's most sought-after celebrity for advertisers." But Korea seems unwilling to allow her to change and grow up. Shaking off the image is proving anything but easy. The movie Love Me Not, the first she shot after turning 20 and where she plays a grown woman, performed poorly at the box office. And there is the risk that she could lose everything she has in her quest for a more mature identity. As part of her efforts, she appeared in a racy commercial for a mobile company, where she projected a sexier image.
"Because I am a girl now, it is only fair for people to see me as a girl. But as time goes by, I believe I will become a real woman who understands sorrow, love and pain," Moon told Reuters. "But the interest in me is sometimes too much. Expectations are high and I loathe to let people down."
The news agency took due interest in her college life, quoting her as saying, "I am having so much fun in college. If I want to express different images and emotions on screen, I have to learn lessons from real life. It is only when my personal life takes shape that my career as an actress can take shape." (englishnews@chosun.com ) Source: english.chosun.com
LDH will be joining Lee Ji Hoon and Uhm Tae Woong on the catwalk in the Korean Rice Festival. She's also having a fan autograph session on January 17th.
Special thanks to incarnadine @ soompi for the news.
Healthy and Beautiful Lee Da Hae in new CF not afraid of the COLD
Lee Da Hae has been appointed as the sole spokesperson for a prominent Vitamin Store/Company for the year 2007. They decided to use her because of her healthy outlook and beautiful charming smiles. Besides, all of her recent CFs have done well in the market and have had lots of praises and good comments.
Lee Da Hae braved herself in the cold during the filming process and always kept her smiles thru out. Her bubbly and playful personality made everyone in the crew forget about the freezing cold and the filming was finished completed smoothly.
The CF shows Da Hae giving her good friends a bottle of Health Vitamins, as an appreciation of their concern and care. Source: Sina Ent/ baidu
Special thanks to pinklily and yeohweping for the article and ripgal @ soompi for the translation.
Incompetent smart-asses annoy me. (In other words, people who don't do their job well yet have the nerve to tell me what to do.)
Whiny people annoy me. It's like, just do your job. You're getting paid to do this; you're working, not volunteering. Geez, is that too much to ask?!
People who make "mountains out of molehills" annoy me.
Rude people annoy me.
Rude people who are telling me to be nice when, in fact, it should be the other way around, annoy me.
Selfish people annoy me.
Immature and bratty people annoy me.
Superficial people annoy me. I know you don't give a rat's ass about me so stop asking about how I'm doing.
Arrogant people, those who act like they're hot sh*t and that you should worship the ground they walk on, annoy me.
Difficult-to-please people annoy me. Okay, so it was our mistake for not getting the order right. However, we apologized and had it corrected for you. So please, get over it and stop complaining.
People with little or no sense of urgency annoy me.
In conclusion, people annoy me.
On top of that, my Mini Ipod suddenly stops working today. It doesn't turn on and I can't even recharge the battery. What sucks is that it's going to be costly to have the battery replaced and it's most likely that I'll do that because I don't have the luxury of purchasing another player. What sucks even more is that although I've had it for a few years now, I don't even use it that often. Damn!
Singer Rain's world tour in Thailand will likely be delayed due to unstable local conditions.
Rain's performance was set for February third and fourth at Bangkok's Impact Arena.
The world tour organizer StarM said Wednesday that safety is the first concern following a chain of organized bomb explosions earlier this month in Bangkok. It said it is discussing a postponement with the Thai organizing agency, possibly to June, but that it is yet undecided.
The New Years bombings in downtown Bangkok are thought to be either a military coup by supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinwatra to regain power or a move by incumbent coup forces who are disappointed at the transitional government's rule.
Thai Defense Minister Boonrawd Somtas has even warned of more terrorism.
StarM says that though the tickets are mostly sold, the safety of the singer, staff and audience must be considered, adding that ticket holders will be offered the chance to watch the delayed performance or get a refund.
On board a Korean Air plane that has a huge picture of himself printed on its fuselage, Rain left Seoul Wednesday for his Hong Kong tour this weekend. Source: KBS Global
doozy: Anyone know the latest news on this issue? Are they going to cancel the concert all together or delay it?
Those who are fans of Goong and Se7en and are looking forward to Goong S... Goong S premieres on January 10th on MBC. WITH S2 will be providing the English fansubs for this drama.
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If you look to your right under "Currently Watching," the list includes 101st Proposal, Please Come Back, Soon Ae and Spring Waltz. The question is: am I ever going to finish watching these three shows? At the moment, the answer seems to be "never." 101st Proposal is getting repetitive and Spring Waltz is dreadful. I just hate dropping a drama and not finishing what I've started. But must I torture myself so? Even the gorgeous Daniel Henney isn't enough motivation for me to keep going. And trust me, he's beyond drool-worthy in here.
Please Come Back, Soon Ae is decent so that will probably be the first one I complete.
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I'm also watching The Snow Queen to support Hyun Bin. As a music video, it works beautifully. However, as a good, solid drama, the same cannot be said. Too cliche and too melodramatic. I was also very creeped out during the beginning of the drama because of the pairing of Hyun Bin and the actress who played the young Bo Ra. (Grown-up Bo Ra is played by Sung Yu Ri.) The actress they chose looked like she was twelve. Even if she did look like she was fourteen, which was the character's age, pairing her with Hyun Bin, who looked like he's 25, when he's supposedly 18, is just... ew. Why can't they find a younger looking actor to play the young Tae Wong (Hyun Bin's character)? That would have been better.
Any good points? Yes. 1) Nice soundtrack 2) Hyun Bin's hotness. He has really nice hair in here. His hair has the triple S quality: soft, shiny, and silky. Seriously, if Tae Wong/Deuk Gu can't be a boxer or chauffer, he can always be a model for Pantene Shampoo & Conditioner.
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Watch Jumong if you haven't already. I can't wait until more English subtitles come out. It's a great show!
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When will I finish writing the episode summaries/commentaries for Alone In Love? I don't know. I have that "illness," you know, the one that begins with an L and ends with Aziness. That's right, you guessed it: laziness. But no one really reads them, right? Except for maybe one person besides myself.
I finally finished Sweet 18, starring Lee Dong Gun and Han Ji Hye, yesterday. I was interested in the show because this is Lee Da Hae's debut and she played a villain. But it took me forever to finish this drama. Why? Because initally, I was very annoyed with Han Ji Hye's character, Jung Sook. Her immature ways and constant yelling were getting on my nerves. However, as the drama progressed, she became more mature and I guess, when you think about it, she got married when she had just graduated from high school and was only 18 so it was realistic that she was immature. Every now and then, the yelling still bothered me, though.
On storyline: Basically, it's about two people who married each other because the nuptial was arranged previously by their grandfathers. Initially, it was a one-sided love on Jung Sook's part. However, over time, they learned to live together, mutually care for and love each other. Overall, I like the storyline and the pace of the drama.
On Acting: HJH did good. LDG did okay. The actor who played Hyuk Joon's grandfather was terrific.
Well, what about Lee Da Hae, you ask? Not bad. At one point during the drama, I hated her character so that must be saying something about her acting, right? At the beginning of the show, I remembered commenting in LDH's soompi thread about how I irritated I was with her character Moon Ga Young and told myself that it's her drama character, not her real-life personality. Moon Ga Young was very superficial and conniving when she was trying to steal Hyuk Joon away from Jung Sook. Eventually, however, Ga Young made me laugh because her villain was so funny and childish. She wasn't outright evil.
LDH looked very mature in the show, probably due to her wardrobe and hairstyle. Her character was around 27 years old when, in fact, she was only 20 when Sweet 18 was filmed.
On chemistry: HJH and LDG had great chemistry together. They're very compatible. Thus, it's no surprise that thanks to this drama, they began dating in real-life.
Funny tibit: In Sweet 18, Jung Sook sported the famous "bun look." You know, the one that can be seen on Song Hye Gyo's character Han Ji Eun in Full House, LDH's character in My Girl and Yoon Euh Hye's character in Goong. It was funny when LDH's Ga Young teased HJH's Jung Sook about how hideous the bun looked when it's only a few years later that she played a character that sported a similar style.
Lastly, I just want to say that Kwon Hyuk Joon (LDG) is my second ideal man. (The other one being Ben from TVB's Survivor's Law.) Hyuk Joon was so understanding and caring towards Jung Sook. He respected her and was faithful despite the tricks from Ga Young. He was also a very responsible and filial man. He is, what I would call, an ESOM: extinct species of men.
(It's a funny coincidence how both of my ideal men are lawyers. So lawyers aren't really scum of the earth but they're actually righteous and responsible? Eh, who knows for sure... That phrase is most likely a gross generalization either way.)
Come to think of it, though, almost all Korean men in TV land are ESOMs. Seriously, why are they all so tall, good-looking, loving, caring, sensitive, etc.? Where can I find one?
Devotees of U.S. soap operas are increasingly voting with their feet, watching them not only on cable or satellite TV channels but engaging in such illegal activities like posting episodes of popular dramas with Korean subtitles online just a few hours after they are broadcast in the U.S. Pundits say as their number explodes, the viewer ratings of Korean dramas are shrinking. More than 1.5 million such fans are estimated to be out there online, more than three times the number three years ago. The cable channel OCN posted two or three times higher viewer ratings than usual on its "CSI Days" in June and October, when it aired seasons of the U.S. crime drama CSI 24 hours.
Why do people love U.S. soaps so much? It is mainly because they offer something different from the familiar fare of domestically produced dramas. The Chosun Ilbo asked translators of subtitles of U.S. dramas to compare shows produced in the two countries.
What you can find only in U.S. [T.V. Shows]
Professions: Medical dramas in Korea are only about love between doctors and nurses, but that is not the case in the U.S. No matter what kind of professions they deal with, U.S. dramas depict their professional world realistically. Nip/Tuck, which features two plastic surgeons, as well as CSI, Grey's Anatomy and ER take us by surprise with their detailed and realistic description of the professions they feature. By contrast, most dramas except historical and period dramas in Korea are centered around romance.
Suspense: Korean dramas are filled with secrets, but viewers either know or easily guess what they are. Watch just the first few episodes and you know who will end up with whom and who will kick the bucket. In American soaps, the twists and turns are genuinely surprising in many episodes and viewers can have fun discussing the riddles. Cases in point are Prison Break and Lost. That is why is many cannot tear themselves away once they start watching.
Seasons: U.S. dramas are made based on thorough preparation by producers right from the planning stage, so they can be shot and shown in several "seasons." But in Korea, there's not a big enough pool of actors and they act both in movies and dramas simultaneously, making it nearly impossible for dramas to last several seasons. In the U.S. stars usually have a home either in TV or the movies. If the Korean soap opera Damo (Female Detective) were produced in the U.S., it would have run over five seasons.
Episodes: U.S. dramas are centered around events but Korean dramas around relationships. That is why U.S. dramas have titles for each episode, which mostly tells a complete story for 60 minutes. In Korea, the relationships among characters unfold at a leisurely pace throughout the whole drama.
What only [Korean dramas] offer
Family: Korean dramas put much emphasis on relationships, especially on blood relationships. There are often three generations living under one roof in Korean dramas; that is rare in U.S. soaps. The main reason is cultural differences, but also because U.S. dramas focus more on what characters do rather how they live.
Writers: U.S. soap writers are not as powerful as their Korean counterparts. Usually, one drama season is produced by 10-20 writers together, and you can feel the difference in the language characters use; such differences come up even in a single season. For example, if you hear newly-coined words, it is because young writers wrote the lines. But emotional language has become a unique characteristic of Korean dramas, hard to find in U.S. dramas that focus on particular events. In many cases, U.S. shows even have different directors who attempt to put their stamp on the episode, and sometimes famous movie directors such as Quentin Tarantino in CSI and Tobe Hooper in Taken have a hand in producing them.
Stars: U.S. dramas do not cast famous stars when they start. The mega-hit sitcom Friends ran into trouble when the stars it made tried to command more money after its mid-point. But when it was first aired, all except Lisa Kudrow, who previously starred in one or two B-movies, were still unknown. Kim Yoon-jin who rose to stardom in Lost, now commands some W30 billion (US$1=W930) per season or W1.2 billion per episode but was paid less than W100 million per episode in the first season. By contrast, Korean soaps tend to depend on the power of celebrities.
Incurable Disease: U.S. dramas deal with incurable diseases but only as incidental in such medical dramas as House and Grey's Anatomy. In Korean dramas, however, incurable diseases like cancer and leukemia and memory loss play a critical role in moving the drama along. U.S. dramas rely more on clockwork plots than affliction. Source: english.chosun.com
doozy: I agree with the above points, especially the part about professions and the all-too-familiar incurable disease storylines.
The character played by Han Ye-sul (24) in the MBC drama Couple of Fantasy is a kind of Korean Paris Hilton, and her catchphrase "Look at you…" is on everybody's lips. An audacious heiress, Ana Jo becomes a comic character with disordered hair and cheap clothes after losing her memory due to an accident. Han's popularity is soaring thanks to the attractive qualities she brings to the role of a haughty rich girl brought low.
"Aren't they cute? I mean Netizens. They say I was such an unattractive character but suddenly became so charming. Those anti-fans… They suddenly became big fans," Han laughs. Her clothes are unflattering, but they can't hide her beautiful chiseled face. "I am a completely different person from Ana Jo. In fact, I think I'm lovely, delicate and rarely get angry." Han says she never expected she would become this popular. "When I decided to play a character like Ana Jo, who is arrogant and haughty, I was ready for any criticism from viewers, but instead I'm getting very friendly responses and I was really surprised," she says. "When I see how popular characters like Ana Jo are, I realize that Korea is changing fast. The public is becoming more open-minded. It's cool. Such a mindset is important for us to develop, isn't it?" She has a tendency to answer a question with another question.
Han made her debut in entertainment when she won a super model contest. She became a star thanks to the rude and bizarre role she played in another MBC drama, Non Stop, in 2004. Recently she spent a year off with her family in the U.S. "The reason why I had so many detractors was that I became a star so fast. Our citizens have a strong sense of justice." Isn't she afraid of spoiling her image by playing such a role? She is breaking down barriers step by step as Ana Jo. "I've been a star rather than an actress, and that's no good. Stars have an inflated image and a short lifespan. I want to be more passionate about my job and build my career so that I can act for a long time."
Complimented that her acting has greatly improved, she giggles and covers her mouth. "Really? It's so nice to hear that. I think I'm very lucky." She speaks English fluently and wants to enter the U.S. market too. Asked if she wants to follow in the footsteps of Kim Yun-jin, who is a star thanks to her part in the ABC hit series Lost," she is quick to respond. "It's so childish to say I want to do better than someone else." Does she have a role model? "There are so many excellent actors and actresses out there…My job is acting, but I don't like watching dramas or movies, so I can't answer your question. It's ironic, isn't it?" (englishnews@chosun.com ) Source: english.chosun.com
doozy: This is a relatively old article since it was published in October, around the airing time of Fantasy Couple. However, I'm posting here so fans of the drama, like myself, can learn more about Han Ye Seul.
I have seen the NGs of the drama and HYS seems to be very professional with her work, which is something that can be seen in her answers in the above article. Also, while watching the 2006 MBC Drama Awards, HYS's looks reminded me alot of Kim Tae Hee, except with friendlier eyes.
Initially watching the drama without knowing who HYS is, I was impressed with her fluent English skills and her acting talent. Talent aside, she's also one beautiful lady and quite young as well, as I recently learned that she's only 24 years old.
I love her catchphrase in Fantasy Couple because it's so fun to say with all the characteristic intonations of Ana Jo/Na Sang Shil. "Koraji ha goneun." If you pass up this excellent drama, that is what I'll be saying to you. Heehee.
Korean name: Kim Do-kyun Date of birth: January 12th, 1973 Physique: 176cm, 66kg Hobbies: Baseball, drinking (doozy: Drinking is one of his hobbies?! Drinking tea and fruit juice, right? Right..)
Bobby Kim debuted in 1994. Kim after a short stint as rapper and singer of Dr. Reggae, the first Korean reggae group, Kim went behind the scenes to write and produce songs for artists like Sechskies, Drunk Tiger and T in the late '90s. It was only in 2001 that Kim returned to the stage as part of hip-hop trio Bugga Kingz with rappers GanD and Juvie. Though their first album was not a commercial success, it was recognized by fans and critics alike for its unique and stylish branding of hip-hop and soul. In 2004 Kim released the solo album, Beats Within My Soul, a critically acclaimed effort that earned him a Korean Music Award that year. Today Kim continues to perform with Bugga Kingz, who released their second album The Renaissance last year, as well as a solo artist. Bugga Kingz members as well as members of the Movement Crew, a group of hip hop artists that include Tiger JK of Drunken Tiger, Dynamic Duo, T and others, are expected to make guest appearances. Source: KBS World Radio
"Let Me Say Goodbye" Uploaded by: tumbles
"Falling In Love Again" Uploaded by: bayerzky
I was first introduced to Bobby Kim's music through the OST of Fashion 70s and thought, "Wow. What an interesting style and unique voice!" After listening to his recent album entitled Follow Your Soul, I am a fan. This 3rd album is terrific.
Whyme Real name: Kim Yong-joon Year of birth: 12th Sept 1983 Education: Anyang Arts High School
David (Chae Dong-ha) Date of birth: June 23rd, 1981 Physique: 182cm, 73kg Hobbies: Camcorder recording, watching movies Debut: "Nature" Chae Dong-ha’s 1st album released in 2002
Kim Jin-ho Year of birth: 21st May 1986 Weight: 68 kg Height: 176 cm Education: Daewon High School
Whyme, David, and Jin-ho
Together, they are SG Wannabe. Three talented artists with amazing vocals.
SG Wannabe first attracted attention by debuting through a music video of their title song of the album, "Timeless." The music video was a mega project with about 2 billion won of production costs and was starred by top movie stars like Seol Kyung-goo, Kim Yoon-jin, Kim Nam-jin and Kang Hye-jeong. Recording a pre-sales of 90 thousand copies, the male trio R&B band was a sensation even before their official debut. The sales of their debut album was on top of the charts along with super figures in the local pop music scene such as Seo Taiji, Shing Seung-hoon and Lee Soo-young. However, the actual members of the band did not appear on television or concert stages for quite a long time since their debut creating a mystic faceless image of the band.
Their debut song was first launched on a mobile telephone service along with the music video. The 3-edition music video also attracted many viewers by providing bonus clips like making of the film and NG materials.
Music producers Lee Kyung-seob and Park Keun-tae who are famous for producing music for Shin Seung-hoon, Cho Sung-mo, Lee Jeong-hyun, Sung Si-kyung and so on, were in charge of making the debut album for the newcomers. The title song of the album Timeless is an R&B ballad number. The sophisticated sounds and melodies of the song matched to the hear-rending sentiment of Korean music lovers rising to the top of the charts immediately after being introduced.
The male trio was awarded best newcomers' prizes in the year-end awarding ceremonies. Source: KBS World Radio Special thanks to = Dee @ soompi.com for the profiles.
Recent Performance on 2006 MBC Drama Awards Show(Their performance begins at the 2:15 mark.) Uploaded by: kalel4ever
Performing "Nae Saram" On Inkigayo Uploaded by: kdramakpopaddict
I love this song!
Romanization by: frostedsnow (aheeyah.com) 01. Naesaram - Partner for Life (from SG Wannabe Vol.3)
ne kasumsoge sanun saram naega kutorok agginun saram nomu sojunghe maeumggot anabojido motetdon nuguyegena hunhan haengbok hanbondo junjogi opsoso mam nogo usobonjokdo opnun kudel saranghamnida nega kibbulddena sulpulddena hamgge ulgo usojudon kudel wihe nega hal su itnungon mwodun hejugo shippo
Translation by: Jungie (aheeyah.com) 01. My Person
You're the person living in my heart and the person that I've treasured so. Because you were so special I couldn't hold you because I had never given anyone happiness before I love you who's never laughed at ease.
When I was happy or sad you cried and laughed with me and I want to do anything I can for you.
Hello my love, my love I'll protect you now. Thank you for putting up with me and waiting for me. Hello my love, my love I'll love you forever. When I'm born again I want you to be the one I love.
Let's be a lamp to each when we've lost our way in the dark night. Even if the rain wind drives us back, don't let go of these two hands holding you now. You were always by my side when I was worn and pained. I had used "I'm sorry" in place of "thank you".
Hello my love, my love I'll protect you now. Thank you for putting up with me and waiting for me. Hello my love, my love I'll love you forever. When I'm born again I want you to be the one I love.
Even if I fall down and fall down again and again, if I have you then I know I can stand back up again.
Hello my love, my love I'll protect you now. Thank you for putting up with me and waiting for me. Hello my love, my love when I call you like this I'm so happy I could cry, I love you.
The leading Western U.S. newspaper published an article on Jan. 1 about SM Entertainment president Lee Soo-man and his efforts to find new potential stars to lead the Korean pop culture in the U.S.
The LA Times reported on the audition that SM Entertainment held in the city in the article entitled "Called to Star in Asia," where a picture of Lee was also posted, courtesy of the JoongAng Ilbo U.S.
"The language doesn't matter. We can teach them that," the paper quoted Lee. "What we need is people who understand American culture. That is what will make them stars in Asia."
The newspaper said that SM has held auditions in 11 U.S. cities for the past several years to search for aspiring singers, actors and models who can make their way to stardom in Asia. Some of them have found real success to become celebrities in Korea, meeting Korea's demand for stars familiar with American culture.
The paper cited Francis Hur, the president of SkyLight Entertainment, a Los Angeles company promoting Korean music, as saying, "[Korean youths] can't rap. There are just things that only Americans can do."
Timothy Tangherlini, a UCLA Korean culture professor, told the paper, "There’s been a strange inversion, an almost fetishization of the foreign, whereas before it was almost shunned. The 'street cred' in Korea, the new types of voices and styles, are all coming from L.A. now." Source: KBS Global
doozy: Okay, people. I'm going to LA to fulfill my dream of becoming a Korean celebrity. Heehee. Just kidding. I'm done being delusional because I know and you know that I don't have what it takes. Secondly, Korean anti-fans are CRAZY (and not in a good way).
As with every end-of-the-year, KBS, SBS, and MBC, the three major TV stations in Korea, held their annual Drama Awards shows.
At the KBS Show
Ha Ji Won won the Highest Award for her role in Hwang Jin Yi. Congratulations to her. It is well-deserved. HJW also won the Netizen Award.
Shim Eun Kyung, the actress who played the child Hwang Jin Yi, won the Young Actress Award.
Yoon Eun Hye won the New Actress Award for her role in The Vineyard Man.
Hyun Bin won the Popularity Award, Netizen Award, and Best Couple Award with Sung Yoo Ri for their partnership in Snow Queen.
There are more categories and winners but I haven't been following dramas by KBS so I either don't know those shows/names or simply don't care. If you're interested, you can check out the complete list here.
Over at the SBS show...
The show was co-hosted by none other than our dear Mukgu, Lee Da Hae! Some viewers have commented that she was quiet and stiff because she didn't interact well with the other two MCs. Eh, it was her first big hosting gig so give her a break. Also, I read that the other two hosts weren't really giving Mukgu a chance to participate in their small talks.
Major upsets of the night was the fact the My Girl didn't win any major awards, except for LDH taking home the Top Ten Star Award and Park Shi Yeon the New Star Award. It might be because My Girl was honored at the 2005 show, where LDH received an acting award for her role as Joo Yoo Rin. Secondly, where were Lee Dong Wook and Lee Jun Ki?!
With all that aside, I would like to congratulate to the cast of Alone in Love for being recognized at the show (with the exception of Gam Woo Sung ).
Top Excellence Award: Song Yeh Jin
Top 10 Stars Award: Son Yeh Jin, Lee Da Hae
Supporting Award: Gong Hyung Jin, Oh Yoon Ah
New Star Award: Lee Jin Wook, Lee Ha Na, Park Shi Yun
Gong Hyung Jin and Lee Ha Na
At the MBC show
Ju Mong and Fantasy Couple were the big winners of the night. Yay!
Those that took home awards for their work in the two dramas includes:
Song Il Kook won the Daesang (Grand Award) and the Top Excellence Actor Award.
Jun Kwang Ryul, who plays King Geum Wa in Ju Mong also won the Top Excellence Actor Award and Han Hye Jin won the Actress Award.
Excellence Award: Kim Seung Soo (Ju Mong), Han Yeh Seul (Fantasy Couple)
Popularity Award: Oh Ji Ho, Han Yeh Seul
Best Couple Award: Oh Ji Ho, Han Yeh Seul
New Actor/Actress Award: Won Gi Joon (Ju Mong)
Also congratulations to Nam Sang Mi for winning the New Actress Award, which I think was for her work in The Sweet Spy. NSM should have received this for Bad Family as well because 1) she certainly deserved it and 2) if Yoon Eun Hye got one from KBS for The Vineyard Man and one from MBC for Goong, then why shouldn't NSM when she's the better actress. Aish, SBS!
The gorgeous Nam Sang Mi
Lists of winners courtesy of CindyW88 @ soompi.com Images courtesy of mydaily
The Korea Times also wrote an article on these ceremonies. To read it, click here.
Side note: I'm currently downloading the MBC show and shall watch it once it's ready. Let's see how much Korean I've picked up from watching all those dramas.
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The Korean romantic comedy 200 Pound Beauty starring actress Kim Ah-jung entered the country's accumulated top ten box office hit list on its 42nd day of release.
The Korean actress Moon Geun-young, dubbed the "nation's little sister," is seeing her fame extend beyond her native country. Wire agency Reuters recently published an article on Moon titled "South Korea's Little Sister Wants to Grow Up," which was picked up by newspapers in the U.S., U.K, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Taiwan. This proves her potential to rise to world stardom.
I finally finished Sweet 18, starring Lee Dong Gun and Han Ji Hye, yesterday. I was interested in the show because this is Lee Da Hae's debut and she played a villain. But it took me forever to finish this drama. Why? Because initally, I was very annoyed with Han Ji Hye's character, Jung Sook. Her immature ways and constant yelling were getting on my nerves. However, as the drama progressed, she became more mature and I guess, when you think about it, she got married when she had just graduated from high school and was only 18 so it was realistic that she was immature. Every now and then, the yelling still bothered me, though.
