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August 2, 2013
Lee Hyo-ri to Offload Reminders of Her Single Life Before Wedding
The Chosun Ilbo
Top singer Lee Hyo-ri will hold a flea market before she walks down the aisle next month. On Thursday, Lee posted the following message on her Twitter account: "Flea market on Aug. 9 and 10: I will part ways with everything I have before I get married. Goodbye to everything that shared my splendid single days with me."
Actress Song Hye-kyo and stylist Han Hye-yeon have also donated their belongings for Lee's flea market, which will take place at Supernormal, a fashion store in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, on Aug. 9 and 10 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Only cash payments will be accepted, the singer said.
Lee will marry singer Lee Sang-soon next month. Lee said earlier that she always wanted to have a small and quiet wedding, so instead of a grand ceremony, it will be a small gathering of immediate family members over a meal. |
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August 2, 2013
Sci-fi film 'Snowpiercer' draws over 1 mln viewers in just two days
YonhapNews
SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's English cinematic debut "Snowpiercer" has smashed the local box office record, surpassing 1 million in attendance in just two days of opening, a market tracker said Friday.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) that tracks box-office records, the flick attracted 1.03 million viewers as of Thursday, one day after opening at local theaters.
It became the fastest film in the country to surpass the 100 million audience mark in terms of weekday sales. In June, the action-comedy "Secretly Greatly" attracted more than 1 million moviegoers in less than two days of release, including a national holiday.
The pace of growth for "Snowpiercer" is a day faster than the 2012-box office smash "The Thieves" and two days faster than Bong's previous hit "The Host."
On Thursday, "Snowpiercer," the post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie set on a massive train traveling around a frozen world, stayed at No. 1 on the daily box office for a second day, drawing a record 600,998 viewers. It is expected to top the 2 million mark by this weekend.
"The movie's box-office success is expected to continue for a while as it accounts for about 60 percent of movie tickets reserved as of now," said the film's local investor-distributor CJ Entertainment.
The movie stars top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood players Chris Evans from "The Avengers," Ed Harris, Octavia Spencer from "The Help," and Jamie Bell and Tilda Swinton, both well-known British actors. Bong and the American screenwriter Kelly Masterson wrote the screenplay based on the graphic novel "Le Transperceneige."
Meanwhile, "The Terror Live," a Korean disaster-crime film starring Ha Jung-woo, was at No. 2 on the daily box office on Thursday, drawing an audience of 641,113 in just two days of opening. |
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August 2, 2013
Actor Song Joong-ki to Join Army Late This Month
The Chosun Ilbo
Heartthrob Song Joong-ki will soon enlist for his 21 months of mandatory military service.
"Song will report to an army draft camp in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province on Aug. 27 to join in the basic combat training," his management agency said on Thursday.
Song has garnered much critical acclaim for appearing in several hit TV dramas, such as "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" and "Deep-Rooted Tree," as well as films like "A Werewolf Boy." He debuted in the controversial movie "A Frozen Flower" in 2008, which dealt with the subject of homosexual love and included graphic sex scenes.
He will meet his fans on Aug. 17 before joining the army. |
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August 2, 2013
Lee Bo-young, Ji Sung to Wed in September
The Chosun Ilbo
Actor couple Lee Bo-young and Ji Sung are finally tying the knot after dating for six years. They posted handwritten letters on their official online fan sites to announce the news on Friday.
The two met on the set of the 2004 SBS series "Save the Last Dance for Me," but their romantic relationship did not become public knowledge until paparazzi caught them together in 2007.
Rumors of a separation started to bubble up when the couple still showed no inclination to marry after dating for six years.
But they said they have been preparing for their wedding since March and will get married in Seoul on Sept. 27. |
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August 2, 2013
Period pieces dominate Korean cinema, TV
By Do Je-hae The Korea Times
Hyun Bin, left, Kim Soo-hyun, center, and Ha Ji-won, right, are some of
the stars who will highlight new works set in the ancient kingdoms of Joseon and Goryeo. / Korea Times
Period pieces known as "sageuk” have been the dominant force in film and on TV this year.
The three major broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS each started the year with airing new sageuk. In total they will have aired 13 period pieces by the end of 2013, which is more than any previous year in Korean broadcast history.
Star actors Hyun Bin and Lee Jeong-jae, and actress Ha Ji-won will make highly-anticipated comebacks in historical dramas in the coming months.
Films
After Hyun Bin was released from military service in April, the first thing he did was to announce that he will star in a historical drama for the first time.
The 30-year-old had reached stardom through lead roles in romantic comedies such as the 2005 “My Name is Kim Sam-soon” and 2010 “Secret Garden.” Since his debut, however, he has never performed in a period piece either in film or on TV. His first sageuk will be “The King’s Wrath,” which recently finalized its casting and will embark on filming later this month. It will be released in the spring of 2014.
Hyun will be playing the role of King Jeongjo (1752-1800), the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). The film deals with the fierce factional fighting of King Jeongjo’s reign. As a boy he witnessed the tragic death of his father Crown Prince Sado, who was executed on the orders of his grandfather King Yeongjo.
“The life of King Jeongjo has previously inspired many films and TV dramas. The King’s Wrath will show the tough and charismatic sides of the king that have been undermined in past works,” Hyun said in a press release. “It is my hope that I will grow as an actor through the first sageuk of my career.”
The casting of Hyun as King Jeongjo reflects one of the most visible saguek trends, where the age of actors portraying the kings is getting increasingly younger. In the past, seasoned actors over 40 had usually been considered for reigning monarchs. Hyun joins a series of actors in their 20s and 30s who are flaunting their versatile acting skills in their portrayals of Joseon kings, such as Yoo Ah-in, Kim Soo-hyun and Song Joong-ki.
Although Hyun belongs to the rare category of young actors who combine good looks and acting skills, it remains to be seen if he can be equally impressive in a period piece as he has been in his previous works.
Fans and critics will be looking to see if Hyun can repeat the unexpected sageuk success of Lee Byung-hun last year. Also acting in his first period work, Lee made headlines for his dual roles as Joseon’s King Gwanghae and the humble acrobat Ha-sun in “Gwanghae: The Man Who Became King.” The movie swept the 49th Grand Bell Awards, winning in 15 categories, including best film, director, screenplay and actor.
The King’s Wrath is gaining press attention also because it is the screen debut of Lee Jae-kyu, director of hit MBC dramas “Da Mo” and “Beethoven Virus.”
Another period film to watch for is “The Face Reader.”
The upcoming film will be released in September and stars some of the biggest names in Korean cinema, including Lee Jeong-jae, Song Kang-ho and Kim Hye-soo.
The movie is set in earlier years of the Joseon Kingdom and centers around major political events involving the ruthless Prince Suyang (played by Lee), who later engineered a coup d’etat and killed his young nephew in claiming the throne to become the 7th ruler of Joseon, King Sejo.
TV
A lot of the works from the heyday of sageuk in the 1990s and through the mid-2000s revolved around men and wars. But a growing number are focusing on the lives of female political or cultural heavyweights.
Ha Ji-won will make a comeback to period drama with “Hwatu,” where she will play Empress Gi of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). One of the most sought-after actresses, Ha led the success of several period dramas such as the 2003 “Da Mo” and 2006 “Hwang Jini.”
“Hwatu” will deal with the love life and politics of Empress Gi, who was known for her beauty and intellect. “It will show the love story of Gi that has never been shown on TV before,” an MBC press release said.
Ha has begun filming the drama. It will start airing at the end of the year following “Goddess of Fire,” another Joseon-era sageuk which currently fills MBC’s Monday-Tuesday slot for nighttime drama.
“Hwatu” sets itself apart as a mega sageuk that will run for 60 episodes, which is much longer than many of the period pieces these days containing no more than 25 or 30 episodes. Renowned screen writer Jang Young-chul will write the script of “Hwatu.” Jang wrote the screenplay of the 2006 TV series “Dae Jo Yeong,” one of the most critically-acclaimed sageuk on Korean TV.
Kim Soo-hyun is reportedly reviewing the script of SBS “Man From Another Star” as he seeks to continue his hot streak after box-office hits “Covertly Grandly” and “Thieves.” The setting of “Man From Another Star” alternates between Joseon and modern times. The 25-year-old heartthrob turned heads in his first TV sageuk appearance last year as a Joseon monarch in love in “Moon Embracing the Sun.”
For history buffs, KBS is currently preparing to film “Jeong Do-jeon” set in the founding years of the Joseon Kingdom. Jeong Do-jeon (1342—1398) was one of the most powerful aristocrats and politicians of his time and a close supporter of King Taejo, the founder of Joseon. |
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August 2, 2013
'Snowpiercer' on record-breaking pace
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
A scene from Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer.” ( CJ Entertainment)
Bong Joon-ho’s latest film “Snowpiercer” drew 1 million viewers in just two days since its release, the state-run Korean Film Council said Friday.
According to the organization, the dystopian sci-fi flick drew 1.03 million viewers as of Thursday, just a day after its Korean release on July 31. This makes the film the fastest movie to smash the 1-million mark in weekday sales.
The record beats last year’s box office hit “The Thieves,” which hit the 1-million audience mark in three days after its release, and Bong’s 2006 hit monster flick “The Host,” which did the same in four days.
In June of this year, local heartthrob Kim Soo-hyun’s North Korean spy thriller “Secretly Greatly” drew more than 1 million viewers in less than two days ― one of them a national holiday ― after the release.
Coproduced by Korea’s CJ Entertainment and director Park Chan-wook, among others, “Snowpiercer” tells the story of the remnants of humanity living on a train where each cabin is labeled by social class in the post apocalyptic world.
The movie, featuring a star-studded international cast including Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris, Chris Evans and Song Kang-ho, is Bong’s first English-language film. Major American film studio The Weinstein Company secured distribution rights for the movie in North America, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and South Africa last year.
The film is expected to hit the 2 million mark by the end of this weekend. |
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August 2, 2013
Thriller 'The Terror Live' puts journalist on spot
By Yun Suh-young The Korea Times
TV news anchor-turned-radio host Yoon Young-hwa faces threats himself while broadcasting a live conversation with a terrorist./ Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
“The Terror Live,” a new movie about a disgruntled man blowing up Mapo Bridge and inadvertently exposing the vanity and hypocrisy of the media, arrived to an eerie intersection with reality.
This is the same Han River bridge where “male-rights” activist Seong Jae-gi leaped to an unintentional death in a fund-raiser gone wrong (he thought he would survive the jump and attend a barbeque party later), an incident that was turned into a national spectacle by the 24/7 media.
A brave scheduling decision by its filmmakers had the movie released the same day with “Snowpiercer,” Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi thriller that doubled as perhaps the most anticipated movie of the year.
At least in the opinion of this reporter, Snowpiercer lived up to the hefty expectations and then some. The Terror Live is destined to be buried in the shadows of Bong’s Hollywood debut.
That would be a shame because director Kim Byung-woo’s commercial debut film is solid and indeed a unique addition to Korea’s collection of thrillers. However, its E-Mart brand of social commentary prevents the movie from being truly brilliant.
The movie borrows from films such as “Phone Booth” (2003) or “The Call” (2013), as the terrorist remains invisible for the most part of the story and communicates only by telephone.
A listener calls into the radio show of news host Yoon Young-hwa (Ha Jung-woo) one day and claims he will blow up the Mapo Bridge. Yoon dismisses this as a prank call and then watches in shock as the bridge really explodes and kills innocent people.
Yoon is soon swept over by journalistic greed and grabs the opportunity to broadcast his conversations with the caller live. The caller, who claims to be a construction worker, demands an apology from the President over the death of three of his coworkers who died while fixing the bridge. He says the families of the victims weren’t compensated for the deaths.
At this point, the movie begins to double as a lecture between the conflict of the socially weak, and powerful, which overlaps with “Snowpiercer,” which is about a class struggle inside a train circulating around an otherwise lifeless Earth.
The movie doesn’t show journalists in the most positive light as they end up creating a mess with their competition to boost viewer ratings.Eventually, news presenters on television and radio end up interviewing each other as Yoon’s personal story increasingly becomes a product of their creativity.
Although the movie was mostly shot on one set, a radio booth, the confined space and limited cast (Ha dominates 90 percent of the story) does not hinder the storyline or halve the thrill. Scenes change quickly and the story proceeds with pace. Ha’s performance is enough to capture the audience’s attention for 97 minutes. |
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August 2, 2013
A hand-written engagement
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Ji Sung of the MBC drama “Royal Family” and actress Lee Bo-young of the SBS drama “I Hear Your Voice” announced their plan to get married yesterday - but more than just a simple announcement, they told their news via hand-written letters posted on two of their related Web sites.
The two, who have been dating openly since 2007, will get married on Sept. 27.
“I think you may have expected this, but I’m ready to start a family,” wrote Ji in his letter. “I’m very nervous and excited and I hope our fans congratulate us.”
The announcement came a day after the last episode of Lee’s drama aired on Thursday.
“I’m sorry to break the news to those fans who are still living with the characters from my drama, but I had to tell you now as I have limited time,” said Lee.
“The characters in the drama will live happily ever after in your mind, and I’m very thankful for the character I got to play before I get married.”
She then asked for fans to stay with her and cheer her even after she’s married.
“If you try to leave me because I’m getting married, there is nothing I can do, but I believe that you won’t do that to me,” she said.
“I still lack in many things, but I’ll become an actress that continuously grows. I love you.”
The two met through the SBS drama “Save the Last Dance for Me” in 2004 and then admitted to dating in 2007. They will get married at the Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul.
Other details regarding the wedding ceremony have not been set yet. But as Ji is currently considering starting the KBS drama “Secret” in September, people are speculating the couple will not have time for a honeymoon.
The bride-to-be has also been talking about doing some volunteer work in Africa in October as a honorary ambassador for Unicef, although the trip has not been confirmed yet, according to local media reports.
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August 3, 2013
Korean Film No Longer Wedded to Romance
The Chosun Ilbo
Romance has apparently all-but disappeared from Korean films these days. It is something of a time-honored rule of thumb to include some love interest among the main characters of a Korean movie, regardless of genre. As recently as last year, box-office hits such as "The Thieves" and "Masquerade" all featured romantic tugs-of-war, or characters with a burning passion for someone. Even if the romance was not at the heart of the movie, it was always there to add spice to the plot.
However, this trend now seems to be on the wane. With the exception of the romantic comedy "Very Ordinary Couple" and disaster movie "The Tower," most of the films in the top 10 at the box office so far this year do not deal with common forms of love and romance.
For example, the thriller "Cold Eyes" featuring actor Jung Woo-sung and actress Han Hyo-joo eschews romance in favor of camaraderie between the main characters. The movie is still sweeping box office and recently attracted 5 million moviegoers.
"Miracle in Cell No. 7" focuses on parental affection using a correctional facility as a backdrop, while other recent hits like "New World" and "Fist of Legend" have no room for female characters as they center on the world of men.
Critics and filmgoers alike seem to be welcoming the turning tide. "Films reflect reality, which these days include more people living a hardscrabble life and barely managing to keep themselves together," said Kim Won, a film critic. "Cinematic characters that have no time for romance, as they have to fight for their lives, seem to be more appealing and sympathetic to moviegoers."
Instead of typical romantic interests, so-called bromances or male ensembles are more visible in recent Korean films like "New World" and "Secretly Greatly."
"These days, the kind of brotherhood or camaraderie you can witness in desperate situations, such as on the battlefield, is more popular amongst viewers than the stereotypical romance between a man and a woman," Kim said. |
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August 3, 2013
Ku Hye-sun Joins Jury for Jecheon Music Film Festival
The Chosun Ilbo
Actress and director Ku Hye-sun has been appointed a jury member for the 9th Jecheon International Music and Film Festival.
JIMFF announced on Thursday that Ku Hye-sun has been selected as a juror for the competition category. She will watch nine films in the "World Music Film Today" competition category and recommend one for the Grand Prize.
Ku is noted for expanding her career beyond acting into various fields including music writing and drawing.
The other juries include director Lee Hwan-kyung, who drew 10 million viewers with his recent hit "Miracle in Cell No. 7;" Lee Yoo-jin, president of film studio Zip Cinema, which made "Untold Scandal," "A Bittersweet Life," and "Woochi: The Taoist Wizard;" Krzysztof Gierat, director of Poland's Krakow Film Festival, the oldest film festival in Europe; and Yokichi Osato, chairman of Japan's leading entertainment company Amuse Group.
As many foreign directors will visit Jecheon, movie buffs are already looking forward to the festival. Martin Le Gall, director of the opening film "Pop Redemption," will come on stage to introduce his movie on Aug. 14 and have a talk with audience members the following day. Renowned Hong Kong director Peter Chan will also visit the city.
A total of 95 movies from 34 countries will be screened at this year's JIMMF, which will be held in Jecheon from Aug. 14 to 19. |
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August 2, 2013
Star couple Lee Bo-young, Ji Sung to wed in September
By Suh Hye-rim The Korea Herald
Actress Lee Bo-young and actor Ji Sung announced Friday that they will tie the knot on Sept. 27.
The wedding will take place at the Western House at W Seoul-Walkerhill hotel, the two celebrities’ agencies, Will Entertainment and Namoo Actors Co., confirmed Friday.
The two first met on the set of their 2004 SBS drama “Save the Last Dance for Me” and have been together for six years since 2007.
Lee, whose highly successful SBS drama series “I Hear Your Voice” ended Thursday night, posted a photo of a handwritten letter to her fans announcing her wedding on her official website Friday morning.
“I wanted to announce the wedding in June and take it easy during preparations, but I had to rush it since I came across a program that was too good to miss,” Lee said in the letter. Ji Sung also uploaded a handwritten letter on Friday describing how excited he was.
“Long-held trust and love naturally led us to marriage. We’ll keep love and respect for each other,” the couple said through their agencies.
Meanwhile, Friday’s announcement ended years of speculation that had mounted over their wedding and possible break up ever since the two publicly acknowledged their relationship.
Debuting as a commercial model in 2002, the former Miss Korea is now best known for starring in the TV dramas “My Daughter Seo-young (2012)” and “I Hear Your Voice (2013).”
Ji Sung made his debut in 1999 in SBS drama “Kaist” and he is best known for his roles in drama series such as “All in,” “New Heart,” and last year’s movie “My PS Partner.” |
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August 4, 2013
Sci-fi film 'Snowpiercer' draws 2.5 mln viewers in 4 days
The Korea Herald
South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's box office hit "Snowpiercer" drew more than 2.5 million viewers in the first four days of its opening, a market tracker said Sunday.
The film, starring top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood thespians Chris Evans, Ed Harris and Tilda Swinton, attracted more than 840,000 viewers on Saturday, bringing the accumulated total to 2,506,969, according to the Korean Film Council.
The number of local cinemas showing the movie also increased from 848 to 1,101 over the same period.
The film is widely expected to break the 3 million audience mark later in the day.
Based on the French graphic novel "Le Transperceneige," the sci-fi action thriller depicts the inter-class struggles among the world's last-remaining inhabitants aboard a perpetually moving train. (Yonhap News) |
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August 4, 2013
Big opening for 'Snowpiercer'
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily
Bong Joon-ho’s “Snowpiercer” surpassed 2.5 million admissions in just four days, a fast-paced opening well ahead of Bong’s 2006 hit, “The Host.”
“The Host” holds the record for most admissions ever to a Korean movie with 13.02 million.
“Snowpiercer” picked up steam after its Wednesday opening when it pulled in 418,439 admissions, with 601,038 on Thursday, 628,989 on Friday and 844,597 on Saturday, according to the Korean Film Council.
As strong as that opening was, it appears to be slightly behind June’s “Secretly, Greatly,” which had 3.5 million admissions in its first five days. “Secretly, Greatly” also boasts the best single-day record for a Korean film with 919,035 admissions. “Transformers 3” holds the all-time one-day record in Korea with 956,500 admissions.
Another new film also opened well: the thriller “The Terror Live” had 1.42 million admissions in its first four days.
As of Saturday, “Snowpiercer” accounted for 1,102 screens in Korea, with 723 for “Terror Live.” |
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August 4, 2913
Actor apologizes for son
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily
Cha Seung-won has apologized to the public after his son was accused of sexual assault against a teenager.
Prosecutors said on Thursday that they received an accusation that Cha No-ah, the son of the actor and a well-known professional online gamer, locked up a high school student in a residential building and raped her on several occasions since April.
“As a father rather than an actor, I give you my heartfelt apologies for being not a good father,” wrote the 43-year-old model-turned-actor on his Me2Day microblog on Saturday. “Regardless of the truth of the matter, I feel a moral responsibility as the father of a person who is at the center of a controversy. I deplore what happened and feel sad. Once again, I bow down my head deeply and apologize.”
The victim is known to be a high school student, who, according to the local media outlets, is claiming that Cha No-ah, 24, physical attacked her. The younger Cha is reportedly denying the charges.
Cha No-ah was released by his LG-IM professional online gaming team in June after he was indicted for using marijuana. |
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August 3, 2013
The Chosun Ilbo
Kong Hyo-jin (left) and So Ji-sub pose on the set of their new drama in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on Friday.
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August 5, 2013
Korean films draw fewer viewers in July than a year earlier
YonhapNews
SEOUL, Aug. 5 (Yonhap) -- South Korean movies attracted nearly 15 percent fewer viewers in July than a year ago due to the relative strength of Hollywood films, a market tracker said Monday.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), which tracks box-office records, about 8.51 million people viewed Korean films in July, down 15.2 percent from 10.04 million during the same month a year ago.
This represents only a 7.2 percent increase from June, a weak performance compared with July last year when the audience tally rose 47.5 percent month-on-month with four films drawing more than 3 million viewers.
As only one film -- "Cold Eyes" starring Seol Kyung-gu, Jung Woo-sung and Han Hyo-joo -- surpassed the 3-million milestone in attendance last month, Korean films took up 45.2 percent of total box-office sales, down from 47.9 percent a year ago.
Also in July, "Cold Eyes" topped the monthly box-office rankings, racking up 38.41 billion won (US$34 million) in ticket sales, followed by Hollywood movies "Pacific Rim" (20.21 billion won), "RED2" (17.99 billion won) and "World War Z" (14.71 billion won). Korean baseball film "Mr. Go" came in fifth with 8.7 billion won.
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August 5, 2013
[Graphic News] Singers earn more than other celebrities
The Korea Herald
According to a report submitted by the National Tax Service to Rep. An Min-suk, singers, earning 52.55 million won ($46,700) last year, topped the list of average incomes among celebrities. Actors and actresses made an average 41.34 million won while athletes earned 29.85 million won, and models 13.1 million won. |
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August 5, 2013
Shinhwa gives heartfelt good-bye to fans
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Boy group Shinhwa, one of the longest-lasting groups in Korea, has completed its promotions for its 11th album over the weekend.
In “2013 Shinhwa Grand Tour: The Classic in Seoul,” the members met with more than 27,000 fans for two days on Saturday to say good-bye until the next album release.
“We love the fans who made us have a happy time on stage for the past 15 years,” said the group during the concert.
The members performed many of their hit songs, including “Hero,” “Only One” and “Venus,” the title track of their 10th album.
Prior to performing the last song of the concert, the group expressed its gratitude for the love it has received and asked for continued attention.
“We want to thank you for the support you have given us for the 11th album, and we will continue on with individual acts as we prepare for the 12th album,” said the group. “Please wait until we come back.”
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily |
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August 5, 2013
Lee Hyori asks journalists to end harassment
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Singer Lee Hyori said she felt sorry for her future parents-in-law on a social network service on Sunday after her mother-in-law-to-be sent her a text message telling her they are being harassed by local reporters asking for interviews.
“I got a long text message from the mother of my boyfriend,” said Lee on her Twitter.
“Reporters come almost everyday, waiting for hours until they agree to an interview. They said they feel bad to ignore them but don’t want be interviewed as it may harm us in some way.” She then added that her future mother-in-law has said she wants to quit running her business and move somewhere quieter.
“I feel so burdened. Please stop,” she asked.
Lee, who has been in a romantic relationship with composer Lee Sang-soon since 2011, recently announced her plan to get married next month.
Ever since she has said that she doesn’t want a fancy wedding and would rather have a meal with both sets of parents and close family members instead, many have been questioning if the parents are supporting the couple’s decision to avoid a big and luxurious wedding. |
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August 5, 2013
'Grandpas' to take a break
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Popular entertainment show “Grandpas Over Flowers,” which airs on cable channel tvN, will take a break after it airs the second round of episodes in September.
Despite relatively high ratings of 5 percent on average, well above the 1 percent more typical on cable, the producers decided to take some time off before making the third season due to the busy schedules of the four veteran actors on the show.
In the first round of “Grandpas Over Flowers,” broadcast in July, the four stars traveled to Paris. The second series, which will air in September, shows the men travelling to Taiwan.
But because the four are filming other programs now, the third round will not be filmed until winter.
“Everyone was excited about taking the third trip,” said producer Na Young-seok of the show. “After matching the schedules of the actors, we will go overseas again in winter, or the latest next spring.”
No word on where the grandfathers will travel to in the next series. |
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