kdrama and kpop

Actor and singer Lee Dong-gun will hold a large-scale Christmas party in Japan where he will meet his fans. Lee's official Japanese fan club announced it will open the "2008 Christmas Party 2008" in Odaiba, Tokyo on December 22. At the party, the popular actor and singer will perform Christmas carols as a gift for his fans. He will also take pictures with all the audience members. Lee became popular in Japan through high-profile TV dramas including "Lovers in Paris" and "My Boyfriend is Type B." He celebrates his tenth anniversary since his debut as a singer this year. Lee released his first studio album "My Biography" in Japan earlier this year in June and held his first solo concert in Japan at the International Forum Hall in Tokyo in August Source: KBS Global http://english.kbs.co.kr/entertainment/new...7621_11858.html

Good new for Junki Fans:




Today’s hottest actor Lee Jun-ki has decided to star in the tentatively titled “Heroes.” To be aired on SBS next April, the drama is about a genius scam artist who gathers a team of riffraff to fight corruption and injustice.

Lee’s last work was a historical fusion drama, “Iljimae,” which won him wide acclaim and a huge following of new fans. However, he has been concerned about living up to the fame and expectations brought on by his talented acting in “Iljimae,” and has not been able to make any decisions on his next work. Lee says his character in “Heroes” is very appealing because he has survived the darkest days of his life and rose above it all to bring justice to the world. Kwon Ki-young, the writer of “Heroes,” wanted to deliver to the Korean people a message of hope and love through the adventures of these not-so-perfect characters.

Source: KBS World

Korea’s two top male stars, Jo In-sung and Joo Jin-mo, have revealed their hunky physiques in their new film, “Frozen Flower.” The film’s preview showed some very tantalizing scenes involving the two actors in bed.

“Frozen Flower” is a historical film about the love and betrayal among a Goryeo king (played by Joo Jin-mo) at the end of the Goryeo era, his queen from China (Song Ji-hyo) and his bodyguard Hong-rim (Jo In-sung). Based on a song from the Goryeo period, the film depicts the king’s homosexual relationship in an unprecedented manner.

Riding the recent gender-bending trend in Korean movies as in “Antique” and “Portrait of a Beauty,” director Yoo Ha of “Frozen Flower” does not flinch from showing what goes on between gay men behind closed doors. The film is currently waiting for its rating, which is likely to be an R-rating, as it contains sizzling scenes between Joo and Jo. Korean film lovers are eagerly waiting for the film’s release, which is slated for December 30.

Source: KBS World

http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/entertainme...ail.htm?No=8648

Great news for Lee Byung Hyun, Cnn is reporting about him!!!May he be successful.





November 25, 2008 -- Updated 1802 GMT (0202 HKT)


Story Highlights
South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun is starting to connect with global audiences
The "James Dean of Asia" sizzles in Korean western "The Good, the Bad, the Weird"
Lee is due to make his Hollywood debut in next summer's blockbuster "G.I. Joe"

By Grace Wong
For CNN



LONDON, England (CNN) -- Lee Byung-hun's arrival in the packed auditorium at a London screening of his latest film, "The Good, The Bad, The Weird," causes a well-behaved sizzle of excitement to run through the largely female and Asian audience.

His name is whispered breathlessly between friends, but in a classic display of Asian politeness, the only indication there is a genuine heartthrob in the room are a couple of poorly contained shrieks. Tall, exquisitely chiseled and with the kind of smooth line-free skin that belies his 38 years, it's not hard to see why Lee is also known as the "James Dean of Asia."

In his native South Korea he is best known for brooding, soulful performances in romantic films and TV dramas. And, now, he is starting to make a name for himself outside Korea and Japan.

Lee is set to grace UK screens in January when Kim Jee-woon's so-called Kimchi western, "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," is released.

Next year will see him co-star with Josh Hartnett in the crime thriller "I Come with the Rain," directed by Vietnamese Tran Anh Hung who made his name on the global movie scene in 1993 with "The Scent of Green Papaya." Lee has also wrapped up filming on the highly anticipated Hollywood action flick, "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra."

Lee is in London to promote "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," and is polite and unassuming in person, taking time to reflect as he delivers his responses in English. "People told me, 'Your eyes changed. You look so bad,'" Lee says of playing the film's titular "Bad," a sadistic killer who heads up a gang of bandits. "I was so happy about that."

From his black leather-clad hands to his wild, psychotic eyes, an air of cool, remorseless detachment envelops him. In a review, Variety described Lee's eyes as "commanding" and having a "Korean psycho-gangster mentality."

It is an unsettling performance, and one of the film's many highlights.

After playing primarily romantic leads, Lee says playing a villain was a refreshing experience for him and something he'd been thinking about for his entire acting career. "Actors always want to play the villain role at least once in their life. I had a good time because I could finally realize a full range of expressions and emotions," he told CNN.

Set in the 1930s, the film follows three Korean outlaws on a chase across the desert plains of Japan-occupied Manchuria on a hunt for a legendary treasure map.

The movie hits on a trifecta: It stars three of South Korea's leading actors (Lee is joined on screen by Song Kang-ho and Jung Woo-sung), has a massive $17 million budget and is helmed by the award-winning Kim.

With stunning wide shots of endless horizons filmed in China's Gobi Desert and edge-of-your-seat action from start to finish, Kim's homage to Sergio Leone's 1966 classic "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," with more than a hint of "Indiana Jones" delivers a steady stream of adrenaline. Have you seen "The Good, The Bad, The Weird?" What did you think?

Lee says his character was perfected through several conversations, discussions and arguments with Kim, a close friend who also directed him in 2005's "A Bittersweet Life."

Everybody has bad characters in their mind, even if it may be small or in their subconscious, Lee explains, referring to his preparation for the role. "Of course, I have that kind of character inside of me, I think. So, I amplified my bad side. But the main thing is the mind, I think, which comes from the inside," he told CNN.

This role is the screen idol's latest step in a slow break out from "type," since his turn as an enforcer for an underworld boss in the film noir "A Bittersweet Life."

In South Korea, where celebrities are closely scrutinized by the public and Internet gossip is rampant, Lee, who is a target because of his film star status, says he tries his best to steer clear of online chatter.

The spread of rumors over the Web is one of the biggest problems that exists in South Korea. The recent suicide of one of the nation's leading actresses was blamed on online gossip. "There has to be change," Lee said. "I try not to read those kinds of things. I think it's better to do that."

This may have been easier for him recently, as he has been busy working on projects outside of South Korea, although, he says these too hold their challenges.

Working in Hollywood was difficult, especially acting in English which, says Lee, made it harder for him to focus on his emotions and expressions.

Lee plays Storm Shadow in the action movie "G.I. Joe," which is due for release next summer. The movie, based on the popular comic and cartoon series, boasts a star-studded cast, including Sienna Miller and Dennis Quaid. "Everything was so different. It was really hard," he said about filming "G.I. Joe." "But it was a very good experience for me."

He's now back in Korea working but isn't ruling out the possibility of returning to Hollywood. He says he could envision going back and forth between South Korea and the U.S.

"Of course, if they have good projects for me, then I would participate."

Source: CNN.com, image from empas.com

http://premium.edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBI...ghun/index.html

Actress Bae Doo-na

Actress Bae Doo-na on Tuesday held an exhibition and press conference to celebrate publication of her third photo essay book, “Doo-na's Pastime in Seoul” a collection of photographs she took while traveling in Seoul with her friends for the last five months.

Bae has published two previous photo essay books on London and Tokyo.

“Even though the background of this project was Seoul, where I live, the city often came to me as a very unfamiliar place. I often felt as if I was alone in this place. Choosing which pictures to put in the book was a very difficult task,” Bae said.

She expressed her love for the city she lives in, saying, “When I was traveling in other countries, some foreigners who didn’t even know it well made belittling remarks about Seoul, and I felt really bad every time. After traveling extensively overseas, I haven’t found any other city that is as wonderful as Seoul.”

Bae's book on Seoul is different from her previous work as it portrays her everyday life.

Credits: englishnews@chosun.com

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/new...0811260003.html

Han Ji-hye, second from right, in a scene from “East of Eden.”
[MBC TV]

Model-turned-actress Han Ji-hye is currently absorbed in being Ji-hyun, her character in the MBC TV soap opera “East of Eden.”

Ji-hyun is a tragic character who is destined to leave her lover Dong-wook (Yeon Jung-hoon). In a particularly gut-wrenching twist of fate, she was forced to have a child with Myung-hoon (Park Hae-jin), the son of the head of a large construction company who killed Dong-wook’s father.

The drama has now hit its climax, with Ji-hyun turning into a charismatic business woman who helps run the company. The 50-episode series, which airs every Monday and Tuesday at 9:55 p.m., attracted 25.6 percent of the viewers watching television at that time last week. “Ji-hyun is an attractive character,” Han, 24, said. “It’s like peeling the layers of an onion - her life is full of surprises.”

Five years since she began her career as an entertainer, Han says she’s learning lessons in love and life through the character of Ji-hyun. Though Han is more than thankful now, at first, she hadn’t wanted to take the role. When she received the script for East of Eden, she had just finished with the KBS daily drama, “I Hate You, But It’s Fine.”

That soap was a turning point for the actress, helping her charm Korea’s middle-aged television audience. Having done so, Han became worried about ruining her image by taking the role in the new series. The spotlight had weighed heavily on the young woman’s mind, making her question her identity as an actress and as a human being.

She wasn’t confident about her ability to play the Eden role, but started reading the script anyway. She read eight episodes in a row, staying up all night to do so. The next day, Han went to a practice read-through and found herself becoming more absorbed in the role. When performing Ji-hyun’s lines, she couldn’t help the tears from falling.

Now that the drama is halfway through, how confident is she about the role?

“I was definitely destined to appear in this drama,” she said.

By Ki Sun-min JoongAng Ilbo [angie@joongang.co.kr]

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2897787

Actor Kim Rae-won, who played the role of Korea’s best chef in the SBS TV drama, “Gourmet,” has turned into a real chef. He published a cookbook last Monday.

The book, titled, “Kim Rae-won’s Meal,” shares recipes that he learned while playing the chef role and also while living alone since high school.

The cook book is a reflection of Kim’s lifestyle, according to Bless Entertainment, Kim’s entertainment company.

Meanwhile, Gourmet is set to air in other Asian countries such as Japan and Taiwan starting early next year.

By Lee Eun-joo; image from empas.com

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2897783

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter Rain The entertainment industry is abuzz over "dance machine" Rain's hot track "Rainism," which has recently been banned from sale to teenagers over its lewd lyrics. The singer agreed to change a few phrases for his underage fans at concerts but expressed regret over the government's decision on the already chart-topping record. The Youth Protection Committee of the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Monday that the lyrics of "Rainism" are lewd and harmful to teenagers. The record will be sold with a red sticker and will be banned from sales to those under 19 years old, according to the committee. The parts that the agency did not like were "Spinning is my magic stick inside your shaking body/ The body shake that feels the limit it cannot go beyond," in which the writer, the singer himself, is allegedly describing sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. In fact, the lyrics have long been subject to debate for their sexual explicitness since the song's debut on Oct. 15. However, Rain and his agency, Jtune Entertainment, explained such wording is quite common in Western pop songs and Korean fans are mature enough not to be affected by them. The song passed three major broadcasters' screenings and swept domestic pop charts. Jtune said Tuesday that Rain would change the criticized parts for performances but leave them on the album. "He will rewrite several phrases because he obeys the law. However, the committee's idea of sex appeal is totally different from that of Rain's. Is there a clear criterion to assert lewdness?" it asked in a press release. Fans criticized the government's decision. "The love scenes or violent scenes we see through TV dramas, movies, Internet and books are much more serious ― the government should fix those first. Anyway, who cares about the lyrics when you see Rain dancing?'" a fan ID:tkfkdgo1 said on www.daum.net. Some Internet users allege that the government is helping boost sales with the announcement. "Now everyone will try to listen to Rain's song to see what's so lewd about it. The government is actually a secret supporter of the singer," ID:Jackie said. However, some defended the decision, saying K-pop needs to watch its wording. "I hope this will influence some other singers who talk about all lousy things ― teenage singers talking about mating and showing off their legs or breasts seems too much," ID: sincerely said. Credits: bjs@koreatimes.co.kr http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/natio.../117_35041.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oh, Rain is a bad boy.

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Korea's first wine drama "Terroir" will bring passion, love and struggles of liquor masters to the small screen. The drama will start airing at 9:55 p.m. Dec. 1 on SBS. / Courtesy of SBS A good storyline and talented stars are the soil to a successful drama. In the case of new SBS drama "Terroir," there is an interesting cast of wines. "Terroir" refers to the certain qualities such as climate, soil, humidity and topography that are needed in order to make wine. As fundamentally strong elements make for good, solid wine, so it goes for relationships. That's the correlation that the drama will develop with actors Kim Joo-hyuk and Han Hye-jin as a couple. "This is the first wine drama in Korea. We wanted to show different varieties of wine, and that such varieties correspond in people; dry, sweet or sour. Not only will the audience get to watch a love story, but also get some information about wine along the way," chief producer Kim Young-sub said at a press conference last week in southern Seoul. Unlike usual conferences, which lack alcohol, there were bottles of wine and glasses for the press, actors and guests, and everyone had the chance to take a sip of wine throughout the event. Actress Han plays the headstrong Wu-ju, a Korean traditional liquor expert and the owner of a small traditional liquor shop. Having high hopes to bring the native liquor to the international level, she coincidently meets Tae-min, played by Kim, and learns that he has bought the shop and she must either move out or stay as his assistant. Tae-min is a wine expert who has a secret past and when he meets Wu-ju, he treats her like a bad wine: unattractive, odorless and boring. However, as he purchases her shop to recreate it as a wine cellar, incidents start to unfold between the two, and the stubborn yet passionate liquor experts start to wonder why they keep on getting entangled with each other. The plot is simple, with the stunning backdrop of Bordeaux, France and music that carries the romantic elements of chansons. "Some people are afraid of wine, but this is a common misconception. The goal is to bring wine to the tables of our viewers," director Kim Young-min told The Korea Times during a brief interview after the conference. Considering that wine is, in fact, not a local drink, how did he come up with a drama based on wine in the first place? "There was a so-called 'wine boom' here a couple of years ago. Wine is popular around the world, and I realized that Korea was also joining the trend. But the problem was that many people still thought it was only for the elite. I wanted to change that by showing how easy and approachable wine actually is through an easy and sweet story about two liquor experts,'' he added. Thanks to wine experts and traveling to France frequently, the crew was able to experience the real life of the French enjoying wine. "Drinking wine is nothing special in France. It's not about getting drunk. They simply enjoyed the atmosphere. Personally, it would be great if people watching the drama would realize how easy wine is and actually have a glass after the show," he added, sipping a glass of red wine himself. "Terroir" will start airing Dec. 1 at 9:55 p.m. on SBS. Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2.../201_35029.html

Our Asuhji is incredibly hot in these shots. So Ji Sub being the spoke person for Sony Digital Cameras went to Havana, Cuba to to the promotion pictures of Sony Cameras. I know I wouldn't mind being taken a picture by SJS!
He's looking fine and very manly.

This holiday's season is all about giving so why not give kisses and love?Indeed this is the concept for World's Withing Cast photo shoot for Elle's December issue. I personally love the concept as seeing happy people makes me happy as well.









Doesn't it make your heart warm & fuzzy?

The HYD cast members did a photo shoot recently and here are ones that are released.

Min Ho (Jun Pyo)

..for their upcoming movie 'Two Flowers Shop'.

Sexy star Jooo In Moo(Fashion 70's, 200 Pounds Beauty) & Jo In Sung(A Dirty Carnival,What Happened in Bali) are appearing together on the cover of On Screen Magazine this month. The reason you might ask why is that they are co-starring in the movie 'Two Flowers Shop' and will be playing a homosexual couple, yes that's right. But have you ever seen a hotter gay couple since Brokeback Mountain?I don't think so. Gay or not, they are both hot.

Wondergirl's wonderhit 'Nobody' is pretty popular among artists and even Epik high is doing a remix version of them!
My favourite is the East Of Eden version. The guy actually turns the song from hyper-catchy into sad.That is something!



Which version do you like better?The original or this?

Can't get enough of the song?Download the mp3 version of Nobody here .Thanks To KPopTv who was so kind to look for the song.^^

Well, it ended up not being live streaming as people were waiting until 3am yesterday just to see Boa and were pretty pissed off but at least the video is online now.

Boa's first live performance of Eat You Up!!

Unrelated:
I just checked the stats from where my visitors come from and noticed something new on google search results.There is a Promote or Remove and even comment button now!What does it exactly do hmmm. Google is really surprising us with new things huh?

Good night, it's snowing outside where I am,first snow^^. So cold

Best New Actor: So Ji Sup in Rough Cut - (I want to see it!)


Best new Actor: Kang Ji Hwan


Best New Actress: Han Ye Seul in Miss Gold Digger (have to watch this too!)


Best Actress- Son Je-Yin



She's so cute!