kdrama and kpop

What is the age difference between them I wonder, she looks a little bit too young to be his lover hmm.

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter


Park Yong-ha plays the determined
inmate-turned-M&A expert in the drama
"The Slingshot" which airs Mondays and Tuesdays
at 9:55 p.m./ Courtesy of M.A.C.

Hallyu stars Park Yong-ha and Kwon Sang-woo are moving into the television spotlight where, until recently, pretty boys, shiny sports cars ("Boys Over Flowers") and even a historic hero ("Iljimae Returns") dominated.

The leading men of new dramas "The Slingshot" (KBS) and "Cinderella Man" (SBS), respectively, are expected to heat up the already star-studded drama casts, which include So Ji-sub, Kim Nam-ju and Jung Ryeo-won.

Written by Song Ji-na as the final piece of her trilogy ― the first two being 'Eye of Dawn" (1991) and "Hourglass" (1997) ― "The Slingshot" is expected to capture the reality of today's money-driven world. "We focused on the world of men and women who are willing to sacrifice their lives for money, a world where money dictates. But I still tried to make a lighter, enjoyable and somewhat touching series," Yoon Sung-sik, the producer, said at a press conference last week in northern Seoul.

Park, 31, plays Kim Shin, who chooses jail after realizing he has no way to pay back his debt. Inside, he is resigned to his fate, until he finds out about the stocks scandal that caused the suicide of his brother, which made him borrow the money in the first place. Furious, Kim prepares for revenge and founds a "dream team," including actress Park Shi-yeon who plays his lover. The dark, cold-blooded Chae Do-woo, played by Kim Kang-woo, is his enemy in the drama. The actor was the winner of the Best Actor Award at the Torino Film Festival in 2007.

In a short preview clip, the three characters showed that they were serious in depicting their characters, which departed from their usual images. Park, who only recently revealed his manly side with the hit drama "On-Air," played a tough inmate with eyes blazing with revenge, while Park Shi-yeon showed her softer side, far from the usual sexy and sultry characters she's been known for. Kim successfully transforms himself into the shadowy and cold-blooded villain Chae, perfectly matching his dark suits, sharp expressions and harsh words.

When asked if the choice of the tough guy role was deliberate, Park smiled and admitted it was about time. "Yes, I felt I needed a change in the characters that I play. I also came to realize that these roles fit me better at my age, compared to the fragile and pretty characters I have been portraying," he said.


Kwon Sang-woo stars in the new MBC
drama "Cinderella Man,"which airs Wednesdays
and Thursdays at 9:55 p.m./ Courtesy of MBC

Meanwhile, the also fairly "pretty" Kwon Sang-woo returns to television screens for the first time since his marriage with actress Sohn Tae-young and the birth of their son. The 32-year-old actor will not only star in a drama the first time in a year, but also play two different characters simultaneously.

Kwon plays the poor, yet determined Oh Dae-san, an aspiring designer whose priorities in life are money and fame. His life takes a drastic turn when he meets Lee Jun-hee; the son of an apparel company who looks exactly like him. When the latter disappears, Oh is given the task of living the life of the rich fellow during the day. Lee does not return, and when Oh realizes that he is actually good in filling the shoes of his unrelated ``twin,'' his deepest desires and dreams start to unravel.

"Cinderella Man" also made headlines for the appearance of Yoo-na, a member of the popular girl group Girls' Generation, as Oh's love interest despite the 14 year age gap. "It's not a big budget program, nor does it have an overwhelming storyline. It's real, about us, and personally, something I can relate with and also show myself," Kwon said during a press conference last week in central Seoul.

The overall drama may have not called for a big budget, but it did require special effects and equipment to get the two characters played by Kwon in the same scene.

The drama crew used the Motion Control Camera (MCC), which costs about 1 billion won and 5 million won for a day's rental. With the help of advanced technology, viewers will get to watch two Kwons walk past each other. "I'm not pressured by (ratings). As my previous work, 'Bad Love,' was considered a big failure, I think this one will do much better. I'm not happy to compete with my good friend So Ji-sub from the drama 'Cain and Abel,' but the good news is that 'Cain' is coming to an end, while we are just starting,'' Kwon said, smiling to reporters.

"The Slingshot" airs every Monday and Tuesday at 9:55 on KBS, while "Cinderella Man" airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 9:55 on MBC.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

Kwon Sang Woo and his costar Yoona were both wearing Louis Vuitton's Spring Collection 09 for the press conference of the upcoming drama "Cinderella Man'.



They both pull it off better than the models in my opinion

According to Korean news reports, upcoming MBC drama 'Cinderella Man' which will be aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays from April 15th onwards has unveiled the characters that Sang-woo and Yoona will be acting as for the first time.

'Cinderella Man' will be using Korea's largest fashion shopping area at Seoul's Dongdaemun as the backdrop to the drama plot, portraying the lives and dreams of the young Koreans working there. It was revealed that Sang-woo and SNSD's Yoona will be acting as a couple in the drama.

'Cinderella Man' has already starting shooting at the bustling Dongdaemun shopping area since the 10th, drawing large crowds of onlooking fans who expressed anticipation for this upcoming drama.

Credits: Sohu News
Translation: bubzooka@soshified.com

Korean movie star Kwon Sang-woo is no stranger to self-generated scandals. But this time round he seems to have set a new record in creating cyberspace disputes.

In a recent interview with local movie magazine Premiere, Kwon offered his opinion on a wide range of topics including his recent marriage, his newborn son, former movie projects and his dreams for the future.

At the center of the dispute are Kwon's controversial remarks about his commitment to Korea, local fans and his directors. According to the full text of the interview, Kwon said he had hated living Korea since his early childhood and planned to move abroad in 10 years. Currently, he is setting up a new business to realize his "out-of-Korea" dream.

Kwon also expressed his displeasure toward director Yoo Ha, who recruited Kwon on a previous film project. But after Yoo picked another actor for his next project, Kwon said he became "displeased" and wished that Yoo's latest film, "Ssanghwajeom," would tank at the box office.

Kwon also revealed that he intentionally skipped the sound recording session for one of his film projects largely because he did not like what was going on at the production set - a highly unprofessional decision that irked many online observers.

As for "Love, So Divine," a 2004 film directed by Hur In-moo, Kwon said he felt "embarrassed" when he watched the completed film. "Frankly, our director seemed inexperienced," Kwon said.

Kwon said he would not reveal the photos of his infant son unless he got paid money comparable to the amount Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie received. The comment sparked an uproar in internet communities for his seemingly money-oriented attitude to the privacy of his own family.

Source: insight@heraldm.com via koreaherald.co.kr

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I hope that reporters just turned Kwon Sang Woo's words around, else those remarks wouldn't do anything good for his image. Silly Kwon Sang Woo.

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter


Lee Bo-young, left, and Kwon Sang-woo star in "More Than Blue,"
the directorial debut piece by poet Lee Won-tae. / Courtesy of Showbox/Mediaplex

Romanic poet Lee Won-tae makes his directorial debut with a classic romance, "More Than Blue." Though featuring typical elements of the South Korean melodrama, "Blue" does not attempt to squeeze out tears from viewers. Rather, the director crafts a film that is poetically sparse, and also witty and hilarious as much as it is heartbreaking.

Hallyu star Kwon Sang-woo, the heartbreaker from the tearjerker TV soap "Stairway to Heaven," plays the tragic male protagonist "K," yet another faithful one-woman man involved in a pitiful love triangle. To top it all off, he has cancer. With the little time he has left to live, he plays Cupid to marry off the woman he loves, "Cream" (Lee Bo-young), to an eligible bachelor, Ju-hwan (Lee Bum-soo), so he can rest in peace.

"Blue" however feels more classic than cliched and the undying fidelity of the love-struck characters nostalgically evokes old romances. The talented actors also bring freshness to their parts, making them very believable and worthy of every ounce of one's empathy.

The story begins in high school. Cream appears before K out of the blue, hypnotizing him in a fashion reminiscent of Gwenyth Paltrow's over-the-water fountain-kiss in "The Great Expectations." (One drawback is that the 32-year-old's posing as a high school student, despite his flawless skin, is rather awkward, particularly since many moviegoers may remember the exquisite rendition of a teenaged Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button").

The two orphans become quick soul mates. K's parents had abandoned him, but left him lots of money, while Cream lost her entire family in a car accident. Cream moves into K's house and they live together like brother and sister, father and daughter and at times husband and wife _ though the more delicate K nurses his unrequited love for Cream and patiently watches her switch from one boyfriend to another.

K and Cream give each other strange names, which they use as pseudonyms when they grow up to become a radio producer and songwriter, respectively. The two know everything about each other, but K keeps his malignant cancer secret, for he knows that Cream's biggest fear is to be left alone.

So instead, he obliquely confesses his love everyday, through tacky lyrics like "in my next life I want to be born as a ring, diary or bed so you can buy me and I can stay by your side." (The director himself wrote lyrics for sentimental pop songs by ballad-crooners like Shin Seung-hoon). But Kwon wins the audience's heart by bringing a certain tenderness to his character _ suggesting a maturation in his acting, a palpable break away from his previous roles as a romantic tough guy. K is a rare male protagonist in Korean fiction that is a pure embodiment of love, someone that can die for _ or because of _ love even if it weren't for his terminal disease.

He urges Cream to marry a healthy, goodhearted man. Even though his heart breaks when she announces that she is in love with a well to do doctor, he proceeds to do a background check on Ju-hwan and is happy to have found Mr. Perfect. Meanwhile, Ju-hwan breaks up with his fiancee (Jung Ae-ri) to marry Cream.

One of the movie's strengths is that it contextualizes the dramatic romance within a convincing reality, and in addition to having the women wear the pants (the director told The Korea Times that it's because he himself is a "doting husband"), funnyman Lee Han-wie keeps things light as a kowtowing celebrity manager. Singer Lee Seung-chul also makes a memorable appearance, particularly as he tries to sport an unctuous, post-Captain Jack Sparrow-Johnny Depp-look.

As expected of a movie by a poet, it teems with imagery of time hanging still in the air and things are left simple. Even though the film's Korean title "A Story Sadder Than Sadness" is perhaps an overstatement, it allows the viewer to peruse not so much the abstract meaning of love but what it means to be in love and to care for someone.

In theaters March 11. 105 minutes. 15 and over. Distributed by Showbox/Mediaplex.

Credits: hyowlee@koreatimes.co.kr via koreatimes.co.kr

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter



Some may say that hallyu, or the Korean wave, is over, but according to some celebrities' plans, the wave is just waiting for the perfect time to hit harder.

Singers and actors alike are moving their radars to Japan, with new albums, fan meetings and new dramas, a perfect way to reinvigorate the star power of local celebrities.

Singers Shin Seung-hun and R&B group SG Wannabe will release new albums in Japan this March. Shin, who proved his ballad power in Japan with his first album four years ago, returned to the local ballad scene last year, releasing a local album for the first time in two years. Recently announcing a concert tour in cities like Osaka and Tokyo starting in April, the 40-year-old singer's second album will be released March 25 and bring fans his new acoustic sounds.

SG Wannabe, consisting of Kim Jin-ho, Kim Yong-jun and Lee Suk-hun, will release its fifth album, "Rainbow," in Japan March 11. Making its Japanese debut last year, the group recorded a total of 12 songs, all in Japanese. SG Wannabe will also hold its first concert, "Over the Rainbow," in Tokyo and Osaka next month.

The group's agency announced that SG Wannabe will operate in Japan and Korea only for the time being.



Meanwhile, local actors have found a more intimate way to get closer to their fans: fan meetings. Unlike press conferences, fan meetings offer a more intimate experience, as stars appear on the stage and interact with their fans.

The first Korean celebrity to meet fans in Japan this year is Zo In-sung. The 27-year-old star of the movie "Frozen Flower" will hold fan meetings in Osaka and Tokyo on March 3 and 5, respectively. It will be his last visit to Japan before leaving fans for mandatory military service in April.

Actor Jang Dong-gun ("Typhoon," 2005) will also greet fans March 6 at a special event called "2009 Jang Dong-gun's Story." Held at Yokohama National University, the event will take place a day before his birthday and the number of fans in attendance is estimated to reach over 5,000.

Fellow actor Kwon Sang-woo, a father of a newborn son, will also pay a visit to Japan next month. The 8,000 tickets for his fan meeting, which will be held at the Osaka Castle Hall on the 26th, have already sold out, proving that the married star is still popular among Japanese fans.

For Japanese fans who want more than just watching the actors sign autographs and take photos, local dramas are heading to their homes. The drama "Spotlight," starring Son Ye-jin and Ji Jin-hee as news reporters, will meet Japanese viewers April 5 through NHK's satellite channel BS2.

Hit drama "Boys Over Flowers" will also be aired in April through hallyu channel Mnet. The parent channel here in Korea, Mnet Media, has prepared a special event for Japanese fans. To celebrate the third anniversary of the network, Mnet will hold a preview event whereby the first three episodes of the drama will be edited into a 90-minute preview and be screened in six cities including Sapporo, Osaka and Tokyo from March 8 to March 27. The network will also air a special program introducing the four characters, played by heartthrobs Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Bum and Kim Jun on March 14 and 21, along with plans for a fan meeting for which the four actors will head to Japan to meet fans April 16.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

Actress Son Tae Young who is married to Kwon Sang Woo and had given birth to a healthy son on 6th February, did a short interview with fashion magazine In Style which will be published today, 16th February as she talks about the joy of being a mother now.

A week before giving birth, she had done a photoshoot for In Style which was enclosed with the interview. Son Tae Young expressed, "Its hard for me to explain but he (baby) is really cute. He's definitely just as handsome as his father, with his facial features resembling that of oppa's face. I am very grateful to God for a safe delivery but giving birth was like being in a big crash. But I am happy its all over. I am now breast-feeding my son who is called Luke. He only wakes up twice in the middle of the night, with everyone saying he is a filial son now."

Son Tae Young also mentioned her husband's plan for Luke in the future which was somewhat a surprise, "Oppa had said that should we have a son, he will be grooming him into becoming a soccer player and had even bought a mini soccer jersey. Whenever he sees Luke lying in the cot, he would tell him 'come with daddy to play soccer'."

Credit : allkpop

Actress Son Tae Young has given birth to a healthy baby (son) at a maternity hospital in Kang Nam, Seoul yesterday (6th). It was reported that Son Tae Young felt a series of sharp pain yesterday and eventually gave birth to her newborn son through natural childbirth means at the hospital, 3 weeks in advance of her estimated delivery date on the 27th.

According to the report, both Son Tae Young and her newborn son are in healthy conditions and they have moved back to their home for recuperation instead of staying at the hospital.

Someone related to Son Tae Young revealed during a phone interview with Newsen on the 7th: “Son Tae Young left the hospital shortly after she gave birth and is currently resting at home. The usual procedure for a woman after giving birth is for her to stay in the hospital for a few days, however, Son Tae Young said that there is nothing wrong with her health and expressed her wish to rest at home.”

This insider also said: “Son Tae Young and her son made a short stay at her parent’s place before returning to their home in Cheong Dam Dong. Of course, her husband Kwon Sang Woo is by her side, aiding in her recovery.”

The newly turned father, Kwon Sang Woo has received the blessings from families and friends. It was said that he even dropped his tears due to extreme joy. Someone close to Kwon Sang Woo said: “He said that he felt a heavy sense of responsibility after becoming a father. He will do his best to be a good father.”

Congratulations to both of them and their newborn son. That was early by the way.

Source: Newsen

PS: Kwon Sang Woo told the press that the baby looked like him, so he must be very handsome when growing up =D

Hallyu star Kwon Sang Woo will have a fan meeting in Seoul on January 31. The venue for the fanmeet will be in Convention Center at the 7th floor of Imperial Palace Hotel taken place at7:30PM

It is a co-organized by a Japan Blue-chip tourist comapny who designed and planed the tour for more than 800 people to join the fan meet.

The first part of the event will be New Year's greetings with a variety of games, quizzes programmes and a special introduction of trailer and MV of Kwon's movie "Sadder Than Sad Story." Part 2 is scheduled for handshakes and photo shoots.

Kwon Sang Woo is currently shooting movie "Sadder Than Sad Story" that scheduled to introduce on March 14. According to Kwon's agency, "Kwon is busy filming, however in order to response to the eager and restless supporting of Japanese and native fans he willingly takes time to attend the special event and then returns to the shooting site."

http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php???

KWON Sang-woo and LEE Bo-young will play the leading roles in the melodrama Seulpeumboda Seulpeun Iyagi (English translation: a story sadder than sadness). The film will be in the hands of debuting writer/director WON Tae-yeon, a poet.

The story is about a man and a woman who are in love with each other, but even though they know each other for a long time, they can’t express their feelings to each other. The film is scheduled for a release next year in March.

Both KWON and LEE have experience working with a poet-turned-writer/director. KWON worked with YOO Ha on Spirit of Jeet Keun Do: Once upon a Time in High School. LEE starred in YOO Ha’s A Dirty Carnival. Another writer who became a leading director is LEE Chang-dong who initially used to be a novelist.

Credits: Yi Ch'ang-ho (KOFIC), image from empas.com

http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/KOFIC/Channel/

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter



The global economic crisis and corresponding local business sentiments are spreading over to the entertainment sector. Planned dramas are being dropped from production while top celebrities are willingly reducing their paychecks.

Main broadcasters MBC, KBS and SBS have each cut one drama from their programming budgets this fall, as production costs, along with actors' paychecks, are still soaring higher than ever.

At a seminar dubbed "The Crisis of TV dramas and Normalization of Performance Fees,'' drama directors from television networks, producers from outsource production companies, actors, scholars and civil group members got together to further discuss the reality and come up with constructive solutions.

"Production costs have jumped 25 percent to even 120 percent since 2004. The surprising part of the jump is that almost 60 percent of it is due to the paychecks (of the actors)," said Ha Yun-geum from the Korean Broadcasting Institute.

The paychecks given to top actors ranged from one million won to nine million won in 2002, but the number has jumped to 10 million and higher. Now it takes about 25 million won per episode to bring a top celebrity to star in a miniseries.

According to Ha, the reason lies in that more dramas are outsourced to production companies and because the paycheck system for actors has changed. These outsourcing productions rely greatly on company sponsorship, unlike major networks, which have limits on receiving extra financial support. It has thus come to be believed that the higher the budget, the better the drama will be. Actors starring in the dramas produced by outsourcing companies tend to get more than those made by the major networks.

The paycheck system also changed from the previous grading system to "free-contract deals," allowing top stars to receive more than the general public could imagine. When the actors were ranked into 18 grades depending on various factors such as work experience and years of experience in the business, the actor positioned in the highest grade could receive no more than three million won. But now, as outsourcing firms need the stars to guarantee the popularity of their dramas, the sky's the limit for the actors' paychecks.

Ha mentioned that they needed a sturdy and relevant system in managing the money paid to actors, as well as sponsorships offered by businesses to drama production companies.

Kim Sung-han, chairman of the Korean Television Actors Association, on the other hand, argues that there are only a number of actors who receive such high paychecks and that they needed a more stable and comprehensive way to solve lingering problems. "Actors don't have many guarantees for their future. It wasn't like they were given the money just sporadically. The word 'normalization' does not make any sense," he said.

Others also pointed out that it was not fair to ask only actors to downsize their budgets without further investigating the true reality of drama productions. Amid the worries in current drama productions and the incredible paychecks some local actors receive, some top stars have decided to give in and lower their "star" status and refuse any extravagant checks.

Kwon Sang-woo was the first to announce that he was reducing his paycheck from what he used to get, which was approximately 50 million won, to 15 million won per episode. The newlywed also added that he would donate 10 percent of the money to a celebrity donation organization.

"It's evident that many of my fellow actors and other production crewmembers are having a hard time working on dramas. I simply want to be a small help to them," he was quoted by his agency as saying.

Fellow actor Song Seung-heon also followed suit and decided to pull down his payroll to 50 percent for the drama "East of Eden." It was known that the actor was given 70 million won per episode, which would have been more than three billion won when the 50-episode drama ended. His agency announced last Wednesday that the actor would receive the remaining 50 percent from copyright deals from overseas earnings if the drama crosses the break-even point.

"I wanted to share the difficulties of the people I work with. If the drama becomes popular, then I think it's natural for all of us to share in the success," Song was quoted as saying by his agency, Mnet Media.

Actors So Ji-sub and Choi Ji-woo also announced that they will look into the paycheck cut in order to facilitate a healthier and convenient drama production atmosphere.

Credits: sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2.../135_35806.html


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Two of my favourite Korean Actors, they are so kind to work for almost *free*, who else would do that?

Per Newsen a research surveyed from 460 people done by a Marriage Information service company on "Who is the most happiest married couple?" has announced the result on December 9. The newly wedding couple Kwon Sang Woo and Son Tae Young is selected 1st position occupied 47%. They chose Kwon-Son the most happiest among stars who are receiving an enviable support especially when there came out the news of Son's 6th pregnancy condition.

Source: http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=200812091106371010

Kwon Sang Woo and Son Tae Young 's Shot Gun Marriage had a specific reason. Can you guess it? Kwon Sang Woo is going to become dad very soon!Apparently Son Tae Young has been pregnant for three months already before the marriage. This explains why Kwon Sang Woo was really taking good care of her.






Notice how KSW places his hand protectively on Son Tae Young 's belly =3.

Congrats to the couple and I'm sure that Kwon Sang Woo will be a great dad!

Actor Kwon Sang-woo and Son Tae-young tied the knot at the Shilla Hotel in Jangchung-dong, Seoul, on September 28. 350 guests attended the much talked-about event.

The couple's wedding ceremony was hosted by KBS announcer Yoon In-gu and officiated by Grand National Party lawmaker Joo Ho-young. Singer Jo Sung-mo and Son's brother-in-law and pianist Yiruma each performed nuptial songs. The newlyweds will move into Kwon's apartment in Samsung-dong, Seoul.

Kwon made his acting debut in 2001 through the MBC drama series "Delectable Proposal." He rose to stardom through the 2003 film "My Tutor Friend" and starred in numerous hit films including "Spirit of Jeet Kun Do" and "Running Wild." He also starred opposite Choi Ji-woo in the SBS drama series "Stairway to Heaven."

Meanwhile, Son made her debut as a TV entertainer in 2000 after she finished second runner-up at the 2000 Miss Korea beauty pageant. She also starred in numerous TV drama series including "100 Roses" and "I Am Sam" as well as films such as "Sad Movie" and "Gyeongeui Line."


Source : KBS GLOBAL

http://english.kbs.co.kr/mcontents/enterta...8383_11692.html

Pictures from the picture album taken in London: