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April 21, 2013
Shop workers 'slighted' by drama
By Nam Hyun-woo The Korea Times
KBS TV series “The Queen of Office” features Kim Hye-soo, center, as a temporary worker. Courtesy of KBS
In “The Queen of the Office,” the latest hit TV series featuring nonpermanent workers, heroine “Miss Kim (Kim Hye-soo),” leaves her office exactly at 6 p.m.
She, without a second of hesitation, claims a higher hourly rate for overtime work, including unwanted but compulsory late night drinking sessions hosted by her boss.
Some fans of the soap opera say they feel a sense of catharsis every time Miss Kim puts into practice what they wanted to but couldn’t in workplaces.
However, many nonpermanent workers say the drama is falsely depicting their work life, ridiculing serious hardships they are facing as temps.
Sweating temps
Unlike our queen of the office Miss Kim, who keeps to her quitting-time like a sacred oath and ruthlessly claims overtime pay for extra work, many temps say she is nothing more than the persona of their unattainable hope smashed by heavy workloads.
They say the drama does not mirror reality, though considering it is a comedy.
Instead, it might distort the public impression that most temps cannot do the same as Miss Kim does because they are not competent like her.
Yoon, 23, who has completed a six-month long internship program as a visual merchandiser at a local apparel company, said that she was like a slave for the company.
“I’ve never felt that I was welcomed at the company, having no seat of my own,” said Yoon.
She said she was supposed to work from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. contractually, but she never left the office at the appointed time, usually working until 10 p.m., while required to be at the office at 6:30 a.m.
“Sometimes, I and fellow interns had to work all night long, while regulars leave the office at 6 p.m. One of the interns passed out on her way to the office after three consecutive days of all night duty. I was a visual merchandiser at the company, who constructs a shop’s products display. Therefore I was always coughing because I had to inhale all the dust that came from clothing that I organized,” she said.
There were no extra payments for her overtime.
Park Soo-jin (an alias), 24, a graduate of a prestigious American university and a temp at a leading IT company, said the drama is a far cry from the reality facing temps.
“It’s impossible to leave the office at 6 p.m. This could be for a variety of reasons such as issues with client, receiving late revisions, or simply helping out other colleagues,” Park said.
“I believe we should be paid for overtime. The salary for temps is simply insufficient to cover basic food and other expenses, especially while living in Korea. We are just managing to survive.”
What the soap opera has failed to spotlight is how Miss Kim got the job in the first place. Many job seekers in South Korea -- not only those hunting for regular jobs but also looking for irregular jobs such as internships -- call landing a job “Mission Impossible.”
In January, a local newspaper company recruited intern reporters. When the three positions opened up, over a hundred people applied. Some of the applicants had masters or even doctoral degrees from very renowned graduate schools, while a few already had journalistic experiences in regular positions at overseas media companies such as Le Monde.
“I have to admit that I feel some of the applicants are overqualified for internships. Ordinary applicants like me, who graduated from a local university and are now looking for temporary jobs as the phase zero for my career, are being dropped from the very beginning,” an applicant, surnamed Kim, 27, said. |
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April 21, 2013
Suzy's income tops 10 billion won
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Suzy of girl group Miss A has made more than 10 billion won ($8.9 million) after signing 21 commercial contracts in the past 14 months, according to Ilgan Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.
She signed her first contract for a solo commercial in February 2012 and did 20 more after making a debut as part of the four-member girl group in 2010.
Cosmetics, clothing, drinks and mobile phone companies are among those trying to get her to represent them.
Alcoholic beverage makers haven’t yet approached her because she just turned 20 this year.
She’s now one of the highest-paid idol group members, with a salary of about 600 million won per commercial. Her value in the commercial market jumped three-fold in less than two years from about 200 million won after she co-starred in the movie “Architecture 101” in March 2012.
She also won the Best Rookie Actress award at the 48th Baeksang Arts Awards last year for her role in the movie. |
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April 21, 2013
Han Jae-suk marries Park Sol-mi
By Moon Gwang-lip Korea JoongAng Daily
Han Jae-suk and Park Sol-mi wed yesterday, giving Koreans another celebrity couple to closely follow.
The wedding between actors Han, 39, and Park, 35, was held at the Sheraton Grande WalkerHill Hotel in Gwangjin-dong, eastern Seoul, last night. Many fellow actors and celebrities attended the wedding as guests, including actor Jang Dong-gun, who hosted the first half of the wedding. Another actor, Kong Hyung-jin, hosted the other half.
Actress Park Si-eun received the bouquet from Park Sol-mi, raising speculations that she will soon marry. Park Si-eun, 33, is dating actor Jin Tae-hyun, 32. Kim Jo-han and the One sang celebratory songs.
Han and Park Sol-mi became lovers after being cast together in a KBS drama in 2010. They were rumored to be near a breakup last September.
“It’s not love that was made overnight,” Han said in a pre-wedding media conference yesterday. “We have built up feelings toward each other little by little, and eventually, I decided to marry her.”
The couple will honeymoon in Bali. |
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April 22, 2013
Former Actress and TV Anchor Among Parents Accused of Admission Fraud
The ChosunIlbo
Park Sang-ah and Noh Hyun-jung
Prosecutors sought indictments against more than a score of parents, including former actress Park Sang-ah, who married the son of ex-president Chun Doo-hwa, for fabricating admission documents to let their children enter schools for foreigners.
Former news presenter Noh Hyun-jung is among those under suspicion. The parents are accused of breaking the law in an apparent bid to give their children a better chance to develop their foreign language skills.
The Incheon District Prosecutors' Office briefed the media on Friday about the results of the probe into illegal school admission and said the parents used fake documents purchased from brokers.
Noh is currently in the United States, and prosecutors plan to question her once she returns to Korea.
The parents were allegedly assisted by an American school staffer, who is accused of luring wealthy and prominent parents to promote the school.
Park and Noh reportedly transferred their children to other schools as soon as they were tipped off about the prosecutors' probe. |
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April 22, 2013
Kara Trumps K-Pop Rivals at China Music Awards
The ChosunIlbo
Kara picked up the gong for Most Popular CMA International Group at the 17th China Music Awards in Macau on Thursday last week, besting rival K-pop groups Big Bang and 2NE1, and British boy band One Direction, in the process.
"We are delighted to receive such a prestigious award, and we'll return to China to show our gratitude to our Chinese fans," the girl group said in a statement.
The China Music Awards, the largest and most prestigious ceremony of its kind in the country, cover leading stars across Asia. |
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April 22, 2013
Singer Jang Yoon-jeong to marry TV news host
By Baek Byung-yeul The Korea Times
Jang Yoon-jeong Do Kyung-wan
Jang Yoon-jeong, a 33-year-old "trot" singer, is to marry Do Kyung-wan, a news presenter and show host for KBS television, in September, according to Jang’s agency Monday.
The couple first met while recording a KBS entertainment program last year. The specific date and place of their wedding has not been announced.
“Whenever I had a hard time, Do’s presence was greatly comforting to me,” Jang said in a statement released by Inwoo Production.
''I decided to marry him without any calculation or concern because he has been sadder for me when I was sad and happier for me when I was happy. He always expressed love and confidence for me.’’
Do, in turn said, ''My empty and cold mind became fertilized after I met her. This is the best decision I have made in my life and I promise to everyone we will live together in love and never look anywhere else.’’
Jang, who debuted in 1999, had her breakthrough in 2005 when her song ''Eomona’’ became a nationwide hit and went on to become one of the most popular trot songs of all time. Trot, distinctive for its two-beat ''ppongjjak’’ background rhythm, is recognized as the oldest genre of Korean pop music, rooted in the days of Japanese colonial rule.
Jang’s other notable hits include ''Jjan Jjara’’ and ''Jang Yoon Jeong Twist.’’ She has also been enjoying an increasing following in Japan.
Jang is currently preparing to take part in the ”Inwoo Family Concert” with other singers from her managing company, at the Suwon Indoor Gymnasium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on May 4.
Do joined KBS in 2008 as a news presenter and currently hosts KBS 1TV’s “Morning Forum” and KBS 2TV’s “Live Info Show.” |
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April 22, 2013
Choi Kang-hee plays good daughter in 'Mina's Stationery Shop'
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Choi Kang-hee, center, shows solidarity with Bong Tae-gyu, right, with director Jung Ik-hwan of the upcoming movie, at a press conference yesterday.[NEWSIS]
Prior to the release of film “Mina’s Stationery Shop” on May 16, Lotte Entertainment, the film distributor, held a press conference yesterday with the main actress Choi Kang-hee and Bong Tae-gyu who plays opposite her. Choi plays a character that has to give up her career as a civil servant and take over a stationery store owned by her father as his health deteriorated abruptly.
Choi Kang-hee, center, poses with Bong Tae-gyu, right, of the movie “Mina’s Stationary Shop,” and director Jung Ik-hwan, left.[NEWSIS]
Choi Kang-hee poses at a press conference for the upcoming movie “Mina’s Stationery Shop.” [NEWSIS] |
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April 22, 2013
Ha Jung-woo designs phone cases
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Movie star Ha Jung-woo will contribute his artistic talents to help children in need.
He has introduced two new designs for smartphone cases along with the two others he showed last year. The four designs can be put on cases for the iPhone 5 and other smartphones.
Another actor, Joo Sang-wook, has also taken part in designing smartphone cases.
Some of the proceeds will be used to provide music education to children and teenagers from low-income families, said the agency Fantasio.
“The donation has deeper meaning as the two actors, who not only showed excellence in acting but also in art, shared their artistic talents,” the agency added. “We will continue working on some projects to pay back the community with the talents of each artist at Fantasio to communicate better with the fans.”
Anyone who is interested in buying the cases can go online or to Lotte Department Store in Sogong-dong, central Seoul. The cases are also sold at duty-free shops at Incheon International Airport. |
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April 23, 2013
Korean TV programs win awards at Houston Worldfest
By Bae Ji-sook The Korea Herald
A total of 15 Korean TV programs won awards at the 46th Worldfest-Houston International Film & Video Festival, local broadcasters said Tuesday.
Three programs from SBS, four from MBC and eight from KBS received positive reviews and won awards from one of the oldest and most respected television and film festivals in the U.S.
At KBS, “KBS Special: Kim Jong-il”; documentaries “Dharma, in Search of Truth” and “Super Fish”; and drama “The Princess’ Man” won a Platinum Remi. Documentary “Icarus’ Dream” and “Drama Special: For Her Son” won a Grand Remi, while drama “Man from the Equator” nabbed a Silver Remi. “KBS Science Special: Exploring the Human Mind ― Me” won a Special Jury Award.
At SBS, “SBS Future Korea Report Documentary Special ― HAV 257” won a Platinum Remi, followed by drama “Crayons in My Heart ― Two Boys in the Ring” and “Kim Byeong-man’s The Law of the Jungle” grabbing a Gold Remi.
At MBC, TV drama “Heart Strings” and entertainment show “I Am a Singer” received a Platinum Remi followed by drama ““Moon Embracing the Sun,” and “Tears of the Antarctic,” winning a Gold Remi. |
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April 23, 2013
Film inspired by true story lacks sensitivity for real-life victim
Why sex crime scenes in 'Norigae' are problematic
By Claire Lee The Korea Herald
As director Alfred Hitchcock once said, the act of watching others for voyeuristic pleasure is a “basic human trait.” In the end, the cinematic experience, sitting in the dark hidden and distanced from the events on the screen, is a form of voyeurism. Movie spectatorship is, in late French film theorist Christian Metz’s words, “inherently antisocial”: It offers us the pleasure of looking ― from romance to murder to horror ― knowing the scenes we see cannot look back at us.
Director Choi Seung-ho’s recently released movie “Norigae” (Plaything) is the kind of movie that should have been conscious of the voyeuristic and scopophilic quality of movie spectatorship. The film is seen widely as based on the case of actress Jang Ja-yeon, who killed herself in 2009 leaving a seven-page handwritten note claiming she had been sexually abused by high-profile media executives. And if it is our “basic human trait” to feel such pleasure in looking, and it is unavoidable by nature once we are in our theater seats, some scenes should be kept in the dark ― not marketed for public entertainment.
Actress Min Ji-hyun stars as an abused actress in director Choi Seung-ho’s “Norigae.” (Joy n Contents Group)
The movie begins with a statement saying that “this film does not have any relevance to any real-life event or an individual.” But the film and its protagonist ― regardless of what director Choi’s intentions were ― inevitably and constantly remind of the late Jang and her case.
It follows the tragic life of Ji-hee (played by Min Ji-hyun), an up-and-coming actress, who commits suicide after being forced by her boss to have sex with filmmakers and the owner of a major newspaper. At a recent press conference, director Choi said he chose to include the bondage scene to reveal the cruelty of the offenders. Yet, the multiple nude scenes where Ji-hee is abused ― including the one where she endures bondage-discipline-sadomasochism in tears ― are overly graphic and visually stylized, raising questions about the real motive behind them.
What we know is Jang wanted the offenders to be punished ― which did not quite happen in real-life ― but we certainly don’t know if this was what she ever wanted: having people watch an actress playing her being sexually abused and naked on screen. The scenes, whether or not they are accurate representations of what actually occurred, are insensitive to the late victim’s sufferings, and disrespectful to her short-lived life.
We pay to go to theaters and watch people die and suffer in movies. We get entertained by war movies and their violence, as well as disaster flicks. “Norigae,” however, should have been more selective with its scenes. It’s hard to imagine any rape victim wanting the crime scene to be graphically reconstructed in a commercial film, which inevitably serves as a form of visual entertainment.
Some things should be kept private and unseen, in spite of and because of our basic human trait. |
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April 24, 2013
Actors Zo and Kim confirm relationship
By Suh Hye-rim The Korea Herald
Top stars Zo In-sung and Kim Min-hee made public their relationship Wednesday.
The couple released statements through their respective agencies after a paparazzo released photos of the two out on a date.
Zo’s IOK Company and Kim’s Soop Management said that “they met at a private gathering earlier this year, and since then the two have been building their relationship.” They also asked the fans to support their new relationship.
The two have known each other for over 10 years since their debuts as fashion models in the late 1990s, but they got to know each other just recently through their mutual friends, the agencies said.
Meanwhile, the paparazzi media outlet that broke the story announced in advance that it was to reveal a scoop concerning a “top star couple,” building up anticipation among star-watchers.
Yet, the pre-announcement seemed to have backfired, with the news largely failing to surprise the public when it was actually announced.
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April 24, 2013
Actress Lee Si-young makes national boxing team
YonhapNews
CHUNGJU, South Korea, April 24 (Yonhap) -- Actress Lee Si-young, who has dabbled in boxing for the past two years, made the South Korean women's national team on Wednesday.
At the national team tryout held here in Chungju, about 150 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Lee defeated Kim Da-som 22-20 in the 48-kilogram class.
Lee, 31, has starred in a few local television shows since her debut in 2008. She first picked up boxing in 2010 after being cast as a female boxer for a TV series. To learn that role, Lee began training in earnest at a local gym under the guidance of former world champion boxer, Hong Soo-hwan.
The TV show never made it to the airwaves, but Lee has kept up boxing. In March 2011, she claimed the national women's amateur boxing title in the 48㎏ division.
Against Kim on Wednesday, Lee overcame a slow start for the come-from-behind win. Kim led 9-7 after two rounds but Lee bounced back with a series of straight left punches and right hooks.
Lee hadn't been expected to earn the national team spot this week. She had recently undergone a knee surgery and had only trained for about a month, and Kim, her 19-year-old opponent, was a bigger fighter who fought in the 57㎏ class only last year.
After the bout, Lee said she is now driven to be even better in the future.
"I was so nervous and I am disappointed that I couldn't show improvements," she said. "But this is still a glorious day. I think I should work even harder from now on."
Lee said she plans to enter more competitions this year, including the National Sports Festival in October. She said her ultimate goal is to represent South Korea at the Asian Games in Incheon, west of Seoul, in 2014.
"They say you have to dream a big dream," Lee said. "I am going to do my best."
To compete in the Asian Games, Lee will have to move up a weight class. The lightest female division at the Asian Games boxing is 51㎏.
"I know there are some great boxers in the 51㎏ class," Lee said. "But since I will be adding weight myself, I think I will have my chances."
She admitted it is quite demanding to pursue both boxing and acting careers, but hinted that she will keep her focus on the ring for the foreseeable future, as she tries to qualify for the Asian Games.
"Whether I can make it or not, I will give my best (in the ring)," she said. "I haven't been able to take part in full training. But I am going to prepare hard so that I won't have any regrets, regardless of the results." |
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April 23, 2013
Gang Dong-won closes contract with UAA
The Korea Times
Actor Gang Dong-won has signed with the United Artist Agency (UAA), which is also home to actress Song Hye-gyo.
The UAA was established last year when United Pictures (UP), a film distributor, merged with The Firm, a law firm.
UAA boasts global networks, heightening the possibility the model-turned-actor will venture into the international movie industry.
The agency has partnerships with China’s ATN, founded in Beijing by famous movie producer Terence Chang, and Effigies, a Paris-based artist representation and image consulting agency.
Gang recently finished filming short-movie director Kim Ji-woon’s “Hide & Seek” after the actor completed his mandatory military service. |
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April 24, 2013
Sung Yu-ri isn't worried about her Fin.K.L past in upcoming SBS drama
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Sung Yu-ri said her image as a member of ’90s girl group Fin.K.L would not interrupt her acting in the upcoming SBS drama “Secrets about Your Birth” as another member of the group, Lee Jin, also plays a role in the same work.
“I was worried at first as [people] take [us] not as characters of drama, but just as members of Fin.K.L,” said Sung at the press conference for the drama yesterday.
“However, as we have matured now, and as we filmed, I had come to worry less about it.”
The two will play the roles of best friends from high school in the drama. Sung plays Jung Yi-hyeon, who fails to remember anything from 10 years go, while Lee will play Lee Sun-young who remembers everything. Later on, Lee tries to take Jung’s boyfriend.
The drama will be aired for the first time on Saturday. |
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April 24, 2013
Zo In-sung, Kim Min-hee are dating
By Lee Sun-min Korea JoongAng Daily
Zo In-sung and Kim Min-hee have been in a relationship since early this year, their agencies confirmed after a local media report.
“They met at a friend’s gathering early this year and continued talking, eventually developing feelings for each other,” said Kim’s agency in a release yesterday.
“We’re sorry that we didn’t release the news before the media.”
Zo and Kim both debuted in the entertainment industry as fashion models in the late 1990s. Then they expanded their presence to television dramas and movies while garnering more popularity.
A close friend of the two was quoted as saying that they have worked together but were just coworkers for some time.
But the two started showing signs of a romantic relationship after meeting with friends in January.
“As it’s been more than 10 years since the two made their debuts, they have their own beliefs about acting,” Zo’s friend said in the report. “They have talked a lot about their work.” |
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April 24, 2013
Girl Band Member Quits to Go Back to School
The ChosunIlbo
Hong Yoo-kyung of the girl band A Pink is to take a break from show business and go back to school, her management agency ACUBE Entertainment announced on Tuesday.
The group debuted two years ago in April 2011.
After deliberating at length about her future, Hong decided to part ways with the group and pursue a different career track. |
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