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August 5, 2013
Celebrity couple invites 900 guests to wedding
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Lee Byung-hun of the movie “Red 2” and actress Lee Min-jung of the SBS drama “All About My Romance” will have a relatively small wedding compared to other celebrity couples, said the actor’s agency yesterday, according to local media reports.
The wedding ceremony, scheduled to happen on August 10, will be closed to the public.
The couple has invited around 900 guests, about half the number other celebrities typically invite to their weddings, including entertainer Park Kyung-rim who invited 2,000 guests to her wedding back in 2007.
“Thank you for sending your blessings to the two who have met their life partners and will create a happy future together,” said the actor’s agency, BH Entertainment.
The couple will have a press conference at 3 p.m., prior to their wedding at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, to share more about their honeymoon plans and future together. |
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August 5, 2013
Cha Seung-won continues acting despite scandal
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Cha Seung-won said that he will continue filming the movie “High Heel” without taking time off of work after he made a public apology over his son’s actions.
The son, Cha No-ah, has been accused of sexual assault against a teenager.
“As the movie was supposed to finish filming in August and everything was done under that plan, Cha has delivered his will to not delay the process of the production team,” said Lotte Entertainment to Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily. “The production team asked him to take a break, but Cha refused and said he doesn’t want to become a barrier.”
One staff member of the production team said that Cha is doing his best to stay positive as his condition will have a great impact on the overall atmosphere of the filming.
“He acts as if he is OK and tries to make jokes with the staff,” said the staff member. “It feels more painful to see him striving so hard.” |
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August 5, 2013
MBC sending stars to war
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
MBC’s military-themed reality program “Real Men” could be poised to get a lot more real - the broadcaster is thinking about sending its entertainer-recruits to overseas war zones.
Although no details have been set yet, an official at MBC was quoted in local media as saying that the international dispatch could happen as early as October.
The “Real Men” producers reportedly have had plans to send its stars abroad since the start of the program, but have been cautious because of safety concerns.
They also need to talk with the Ministry of National Defense to get approval as the plan would involve real soldiers.
Among the locations under consideration - all places where the Korean military is currently operating - are Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.
“Real Men” currently features actor Jang Hyuk, Australian comedian Sam Hammington and other entertainers experiencing enlisted life on Korean military bases.
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August 5, 2013
Maybe Spain for wedding pics
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Soon-to-be-married actress Lee Bo-young and actor Ji Sung may not have time to take a honeymoon after their September nuptials, but at least the couple will get to travel together before their big day.
Local media are reporting that Lee, of the SBS drama “I Hear Your Voice,” and Ji, of MBC’s “Royal Family,” will travel abroad to have their pre-wedding photos taken. No location has been confirmed, but the rumor mill is pointing to Spain.
Because Ji might begin working on the new KBS drama “Secret,” starting from next month, he will likely not have the time for a honeymoon. But Lee may go volunteer in Africa in October.
The couple has been in a relationship for six years, having met through the SBS drama “Save the Last Dance for Me.”
They are scheduled to get married on Sept. 27 at the Walkerhill Hotel in eastern Seoul.
The two have been preparing for the wedding since March. |
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August 5, 2013
Nam finds catharsis, even if she’s a weirdo
BY HAN JAE-HEE Korea JoongAng Daily
Nam Gyu-ri [JoongAng Ilbo]
Nam Gyu-ri made a name for herself as a member of the girl group SeeYa in 2006, but she soon left the group and has instead been trying to make it as an actress. Unfortunately, public opinion has been generally negative, especially after her 2008 film “Death Bell.”
But Nam kept at acting, despite the negativity. And now that her latest drama, JTBC’s “Heartless City,” has ended its run, she says that at last she is learning what acting is all about. In “Heartless City,” her character Su-min had long obsessed about taking revenge on a man who wronged her, until she falls in love with him.
“I felt the true taste of acting,” Nam said to Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.
“The more I focus on acting, the more I find it cathartic.”
Nam says she knows that there is still a lot she needs to learn, but she feels she has come a long way since switching careers.
“If I continue to discipline myself, I think by the time I have 10 years’ experience, I will have learned to cover my mistakes.”
Q. Wasn’t it hard to film your latest drama?
A. I was very energetic even though I wasn’t getting any sleep for a couple of nights. It was exciting getting a chance to show things that I had not shown before. Since my debut, I’ve heard a lot about me looking coy or immature. In the drama, though, my character Su-min experiences all sorts of hardships as soon as she becomes an adult. Although I never went through anything as extreme as she does in the drama, I had my own difficulties. Thanks to that, I could empathize with her.
Do you follow how viewers react to your acting?
This time, I intentionally looked for those reviews. There were many posts saying things like, “Why is she wearing such thick makeup,” or “She tries too hard to look pretty.” After reading such negative responses to my acting and character, I realized that I need to have a strategic and meticulous plan to develop my career as an actress.
You didn’t use a stuntwoman for some of your action scenes. Did you get hurt?
When I was filming getting beaten by inmates in prison, I hit my head really hard on the floor. For a moment, I couldn’t open my left eye and couldn’t move my body. I was thinking “Maybe I could die.” But thankfully, nothing else serious happened to me. Even that beating I found weirdly cathartic - it made me suspect I could be a weirdo.
So how did you change after reading the reviews?
I realized that I need to put more effort into making my character look real, so that when the audience looks at me, they will instantly know, “Oh she’s having a hard time.” So, toward the middle of the filming, I barely put on any makeup. How can my character be healthy when her internal conflicts are reaching a pinnacle? To cover my inherently red lips, I put on a color corrector, and I let my pimples grow without trying to squeeze them.
Do you have plans to return as a singer?
I don’t have a big passion for it. If I were to sing, it would be something like singing on the soundtrack of a work I was participating in. I feel more passionate about acting. I’ll do my best until I’m accepted as an actress. |
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August 7, 2013
Military service almost up for Super Junior’s Kim Hee-chul
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Kim Hee-chul of boy group Super Junior will be discharged from his compulsory military duty by the end of the month.
He was enlisted in September 2011 and has been working as a civil servant at Seong-dong District Office in eastern Seoul for about two years instead of serving at a military base, due to a serious car accident in 2006.
Kim was originally set to be discharged on Aug. 31 but since it’s a Saturday he will be done with his duty the day before.
Kim is not planning on having a press conference regarding his discharge, according to local media reports.
Many are still expecting that fans will gather to see the star because he has not been exposed to the public for the past two years. Around 400 fans came to send the celebrity off when he was enlisted. |
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August 7, 2013
Fans of JYJ's Jun-su crash SAC Web site
By Lee Min-sun Korea JoongAng Daily
The Web site of Seoul Arts Center crashed earlier yesterday day due to fans of idol singer Kim Jun-su.
The singer, who is also a member of male trio JYJ, is playing the lead character in musical “Elizabeth,” which is currently showing at Seoul Arts Center’s Opera House in Seocho, southern Seoul.
It is speculated that large numbers of Kim’s fans all accessed the Web site’s server at the same time. They wanted to buy tickets that were released in a block by Seoul Art Center at 10 a.m. yesterday.
Many fans posted on the trio’s fan café or elsewhere online that they were anxious about not being able to access the performance venue’s Web site.
In the previous batch of tickets, about 20,000 seats for his performances were sold out within five minutes of release.
The musical is scheduled to run until Sept. 7. |
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August 7, 2013
Lee Mi-sook joins new agency
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actress Lee Mi-sook of the KBS drama “You’re the Best, Lee Soon Shin” has found a new home at Sidus HQ, according to local media reports yesterday.
Lee, who has been working by herself without an agency, has decided to settle with one that can support her in the best possible way after a legal battle she was fighting against her former agency ended.
The Supreme Court of Korea ordered Lee to pay 120 million won ($107,760) to her former agency, The Contents Media, last month. The agency sued Lee, claiming that she broke her four-year contract with the company without getting prior consent in 2009.
Although the agency sought 200 million won in compensation, the court ruled Lee to pay 120 million won. |
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August 6, 2013
Ji Sung and Hwang Jung-eum team up in new drama
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actor Ji Sung of SBS drama “Royal Family” has confirmed that he will take part in a new KBS drama “Secret.”
He will play a man named Minhyuk, who falls in love with a girl who murdered his previous girlfriend in a melodrama.
Minhyuk is the son of a local rich man who has everything expect for a kind personality.
Ji’s counterpart will be played by actress Hwang Jung-eum of the MBC drama “Golden Time.” She will act an immaculate but relentless character who tries to hold onto her life when she feels she is failing.
As the two have already worked together in a commercial for a local retailer, many are expecting to see what kind of chemistry the two will show in the drama.
The drama is scheduled to air next month. |
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August 6, 2013
Actress Ku Hye-sun to hold solo art exhibit
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Actress Ku Hye-sun is focusing on her painting talents at the moment in preparation for a solo exhibition in Shanghai, China this month, according to her agency YG Entertainment.
In the Aug. 17 to 31 exhibition entitled “Anything That Leaves Yearning Is All Beautiful,” she presents around 20 pieces of art.
While many fans in China remember her starring in TV drama “Boys Over Flowers,” many industry experts speculate that this will be a chance for Ku to show her other talents to local fans.
She is also scheduled to meet with children to paint and discuss love and peace, some of the themes incorporated into her work, on the opening day of the exhibition.
“Ku is set to deliver her thoughts through the exhibition so that she can show things that have not been presented to the public,” said YG Entertainment. |
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August 6, 2013
Seohyun mulls drama role
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Seohyun of Girls’ Generation will start building an acting career, as she is considering taking part in an upcoming SBS weekend drama, tentatively named “Crazy Romance.”
An official at SBS was quoted as saying that the production team offered the singer a role and gave her a copy of a script.
“As we were looking for an actress who has an image that makes others think about their first love, we thought that Seohyun is the perfect fit and offered her a part,” the official said, according to local media reports.
If she joins the drama, Seohyun will play a college student named Han Yu-rim who studies veterinary medicine and falls in love with another college student who lied about his much younger age.
If she were to take the role, she would be the fifth member of the nine-member group to try acting. |
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August 6, 2013
'Snowpiercer' Becomes Fastest Korean Movie to Draw 3 Million Viewers
The Chosun Ilbo
Bong Joon-ho's latest film "Snowpiercer" has attracted over three million spectators in just five days of its release -- the fastest pace ever set by a Korean movie.
According to the Korea Film Council on Monday, the movie was seen by 786,614 people on Sunday alone to keep a firm grip on the top spot at the local box office. As of Monday, it had sold a total of 3,297,568 tickets.
The much-anticipated sci-fi flick portrays a bloody class struggle on a train among the last few survivors of a new Ice Age.
Another Korean movie, "The Terror Live" starring Ha Jung-woo, is also enjoying great popularity at local theaters, attracting nearly two million spectators in five days as of Sunday. |
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August 6, 2013
Na Kyung-eun Wants to Swap Mic for Maternal Duties
The Chosun Ilbo
TV announcer Na Kyung-eun, who is equally if not better known as the wife of comedian Yoo Jae-suk, will wrap up rather than resume her career at MBC.
The terrestrial broadcaster said on Monday that Na wants to quit so she can devote herself to taking care of her family and raising her son.
She was supposed to go back to work soon as her one-year maternity leave is about to end, but she apparently wants to continue enjoying life as a homemaker instead.
Na joined MBC in 2004 after graduating from Yonsei University with a major in English literature.
She met Yoo while appearing in the entertainment show "Infinite Challenge" in 2006. They tied the knot in July 2008 and had a son in May 2010. |
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August 6, 2013
Daniel Henney to Return with New Film
The Chosun Ilbo
Heartthrob Daniel Henney on Monday appeared with other cast members at a press event to promote his new movie "The Spy," which is set to be released in early September.
He was accompanied by fellow stars Sol Kyung-gu and Moon So-ri.
The comic action film set in Bangkok, Thailand is the story of a spy and his wife, who has no idea what he does for a living.
Henney plays a cold-blooded villain.
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August 7, 2013
Book of Essays Shows Life Behind the Scenes for Actor Jang Hyuk
The Chosun Ilbo
Actor Jang Hyuk held a press conference celebrating the publication of a collection of his essays on Tuesday.
Through the book he candidly shares with readers his experiences as an actor and the events that have shaped his life and career.
It contains many stories that Jang has never made public before.
Never one to lay idle, the actor is also busy at the moment promoting his latest flick, "The Flu," featuring actress Su-ae.
Jang plays the role of a courageous rescue worker in the movie, which is scheduled to be released here on Aug. 15. |
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August 7, 2013
Sunmi launching solo career
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Sunmi, a former member of the girl group Wonder Girls, will make a comeback to the entertainment scene, three years after she left the team.
“Sunmi is preparing to come back as a solo singer, and producer Park Jin-young is checking everything from choreography to stage outfits,” an official at JYP Entertainment told Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.
“Park found Sunmi in the first place and trained her, so she is a special one to him.”
She first made a debut as a member of the girl group in 2007, but announced her withdrawal in 2010, saying that she wanted to focus on her schoolwork. She started her college life in 2011 at Dongguk University.
The concept for her solo comeback is the 2013 version of singer Park Ji-yoon’s song, “Coming of Age Ceremony,” which was originally released in 2000.
Park garnered much attention with the song as she successfully changed her image from a girl to a woman. |
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August 7, 2013
Sci-fi film 'Snowpiercer' tops 4 million viewer mark in record time
YonhapNews
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Yonhap) -- South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho's English language debut film, "Snowpiercer," has attracted more than 4 million viewers in seven days of opening, its local distributor said Wednesday.
The film, starring top Korean actor Song Kang-ho alongside Hollywood thespians Chris Evans, Ed Harris and Tilda Swinton, attracted an accumulated total of just over 4 million viewers on Tuesday, according to CJ Entertainment.
It took only seven days for the flick to surpass the milestone after opening, which if confirmed is a record for the fastest ascent to 4 million views in local theaters.
"Such a high-speed box-office run is expected to continue for the time being as more moviegoers are coming to see it in the second week of opening than the first week," the company said in a release.
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.
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August 5, 2013
Actor Song Joong-ki Joins the Army on Aug. 27
KBS Global
Actor Song Joong-ki will enter the army for his military service on Aug. 27.
His agency announced on Aug. 1 that Song will enlist in the Army 102 Recruit Division in Chuncheon, Gangwondo, on Aug. 28.
Song left a message for his fans, saying "After finishing my current activities, I will enter the army training corps. I send thanks to all the people who support me and love me."
He greeted fans, saying "I will return after two-years of military service. I wish you well until I see you again."
Song made his debut in 2008 with movie "A Frozen Flower". He rose to fame by starring in TV dramas "Sungkyunkwan Scandal", "Deep-rooted Tree", and KBS's "The Innocent Man" and the box office hit "A Werewolf Boy" last year. |
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August 6, 2013
Lee Byung-hun & Lee Min-jung To Invite 900 Wedding Guests
KBS Global
What's sure to be one of the biggest, most-talked-about weddings this year, is also going to be a relatively small one.The couple announced through BH Entertainment that not only will there be members of the press at the wedding on August 10th, there will only be about 900 guests invited.
This is in comparison to other celebrity weddings that average out to welcome 2,000 people. Comedian Park Kyung-lim had opened her special day up to include 5,000 people!
Media can rest assured though because photo-ops and a press conference will be held before the wedding ceremony. |
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