Wednesday, February 25, 2009

[ Korean Drama 2004 ] Love Story in Harvard



Genre: Romance, drama

Episodes: 16

Broadcast network:
SBS
Broadcast period:
2004-11-22 to 2005-01-11
Air time:
Monday & Tuesday 9:55 PM
Official site:http://tv.sbs.co.kr/lovestory/

Cast:



Kim Rae Won as Kim Hyun-woo
Kim Tae Hee as Lee Soo-in
Lee Jung Jin as Hong Jung-min
Kim Min as Yoo Jin-ah

Synopsis:

Love Story in Harvard portrays the dream and love pursued by foreign students studying in Harvard. It demonstrates bright, hard-working, and romantic characters and storylines.

A young love story set at the famed Ivy League school in the United States. Kim Hyun Woo (Kim Rae Won), a 1st year law student at Harvard Law, enters into a rivalry with classmate Hong Jung Min (Lee Jung Jin) for the affections of beautiful medical student Lee Soo In (Kim Tae Hee). The two men are both from prestigious families, while Soo In is from a poor family. Can the trio resolve their romantic differences and chase their dreams at the same time?

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Actress Kim So-yeon to Join 'Iris' as Sexy Agent



Actress Kim So-yeon
will join the high profile cast of the upcoming spy action drama series Iris starring Lee Byeong-heon and Kim Tae-hee. She will play a sexy agent.

The drama's production agency Taewon Entertainment said, "Kim will turn into a provocative warrior playing Kim Seon-hwa, a North Korean agent. She is up for some intense action scenes."

Under the order of the team chief played by actor Lee Seung-woo, Kim Seon-hwa doggedly tails South Korean special agent Kim Hyeon-jun (Lee Byeong-heon). After being abandoned by the North regime, she fatefully falls in love with Lee. She creates an intense love triangle with Kim Tae-hee and Lee to the very end.

"Iris" is expected to air on KBS 2TV in the second half of the year. Filming will start next month in Akita Prefecture, Japan.

source: KBS Global

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Friday, February 20, 2009

'Boys over Flowers' Actor Suffers Waist Pain From Accident



Singer
and actor Kim Hyeon-jung (23) is complaining of waist pain following a recent car accident.

While heading to the film set of the hit KBS 2TV drama "Boys over Flowers" last month, Kim suffered a car accident near the downtown Cheonggye Stream area. Kim cited waist pain at the time and the hospital advised him to check in but, due to tight shooting schedule, he delayed treatment until after the drama is over at the end of March.

His management agency said, "Kim's waist pain is continuing, so when the drama is over, Kim will clear his schedule and rest in a hospital for a month. His band, SS501, was scheduled to release a regular album in April in Japan, but it has been put off until May. After the drama, he also needs to shoot several TV commercials, so we adjusted his schedule to provide for sufficient rest."

The agency added that Kim's recent collapse during the Macao shoot was due to long hours of shooting without having proper regular meals, resulting in a gastric ulcer.

source: KBS Global

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Friday, February 13, 2009

“Boys over Flowers” Mesmerizes the Nation


The KBS TV2 drama “Boys over Flowers” has created quite a stir in the nation. Depicting the lives of four dashing young men (known as "F4") from affluent families and a high school girl from an ordinary family, this drama has gained explosive popularity from viewers as young as teenagers to people in their 30s. The drama presents viewers with a chance to forget about harsh reality, albeit temporarily, and sample the world of fantasies. Parodies of the drama have flooded the Internet recently, while the same-titled Japanese cartoon on which the drama is based has been selling like hot cakes. Even elementary school students and office workers have become huge fans of the drama, which has inspired men to improve their looks by using diverse fashion items and cosmetics.

Parody boom

Internet bulletin boards were the first to reflect the popularity of “Boys over Flowers.” Netizens have been posting all kinds of parodies of the drama. The community site DCInside offers diverse parodies, such as “Grandpas over Flowers,” “Boys over Flowers Psychopath,” “Men’s Requiem over Flowers,” and others. “Grandpas over Flowers” features middle-aged actors and makes an impact with its excellent production values and plot. “Boys over Flowers” has recorded viewers’ ratings of more than 30 percent, creating a sensation. Recently, it has become a popular subject on variety shows as well. Entertainers have been trying to imitate the F4 characters on variety shows and reenact famous scenes from the drama.

The cartoon on which the TV drama is based has also been enjoying enormous popularity. According to the Internet bookstore Libro (http://www.libro.co.kr), sales of the original cartoon have surged twentyfold since the drama’s premiere. Moreover, the majority of customers who purchased the complete collection of the cartoon CDs are in their late 20s to late 30s. “Boys over Flowers” has already gained fame in Korea for its Taiwanese and Japanese versions. Given that the plot of the drama already became well-known after a book was published in the 1990s, customers still continue to purchase the cartoon simply to have it in their homes. When the drama “Boys over Flowers” first debuted in Korea in the 1990s, women who are now in their late 20s to late 30s were in middle or high school. That is why, by purchasing this cartoon these days, they want to enjoy the nostalgia and reminisce about their youth. The popularity of “Boys over Flowers” as a drama largely stems from the fact that it fully reflects the content of the original cartoon. But another major reason behind its phenomenal popularity lies in the vicarious satisfaction that it offers in times of economic recession and financial hardship. As the popularity of the drama shows no signs of abating, sales of drama-related items have soared recently, inspiring retailers to focus their marketing on the drama as well.

Playing “Boys over Flowers”

From school students to office workers, many people have been using famous lines from the drama in their everyday conversations. Setting up “F4” groups is all the rage among school students these days. They assign roles exactly as in the drama and behave accordingly. Working women enjoy acting out the drama’s female character “Geum Jan-di” and using the lines from the drama when chatting. They even view one another as rivals for the role of Geum Jan-di.

The drama has inspired many men to improve their looks. As a result, sales of men’s cosmetics and fashion items have skyrocketed. According to the Internet shopping mall Auction, sales of pique shirts, knit vests and slim jackets that often appear in the drama surged 40 percent month-on-month in January alone. The character’s hairstyles have also set new trends. The curvy hairstyle of one of the main characters, “Koo Jun-pyo,” is the latest rage among young men these days. Among women, it is Geum Jan-di’s bob haircut that is currently ruling the fashion world.

“Boys over Flowers” marketing

Dining companies have launched the so-called “Boys over Flowers” marketing to lure women who are mesmerized by the drama. They have been hiring good-looking male personnel because they are treated like celebrities by female customers. The cafe “Walking Slowly” made headlines by hiring aspiring and active models to serve customers. The cafe has seen a steep increase in the number of customers, who mostly “come to look at the tall and dashing models with tiny faces.” Recently, many Japanese tourists have been frequenting the cafe after learning about it by word of mouth.

“Boys over Flowers” fashion

Clothes that the drama characters wear have become huge hits. Men have been waiting in lines in hair salons to get haircuts that look exactly like those sported by the drama characters. An island that was featured in the drama has become a hot tourist spot. The original soundtracks of the original cartoon and the drama are enjoying enormous popularity despite the economic slump. Experts say “Boys over Flowers” is an opportunity for women to relieve their stress from everyday life and satisfy their underlying needs.

source: KBS Global

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Korean drama 'Iris' to generate W3 Bln in Japan



The Korean drama "Iris" starring top actor Lee Byeong-heon is expected to generate some 200 million yen (3 billion won) in economic benefits in Japan's Akita prefecture, where it will be shot.

Kyodo News says the prefecture officially announced the Korean drama will be shot there for 3 weeks from mid-March. Officials expect the economic effect will include a rise in tourist numbers.

Scenes shot there will mainly focus on Lee, who is playing an intelligence agent fleeing Korea and infiltrating Japan. The production agency Taewon says Akita was picked for its snow covered scenery. As for the exact location in Akita, either Oga or Senboku districts will be the likely choice.

Akita governor Sukeshiro Terata said, "I get a glimpse of Korean dramas when my wife watches them. But 'Iris' starring Lee, highly popular in Japan, will have considerable positive impact to our prefecture."

Akita officials plan to form a corporate support team to help the shooting as well as a reception for the Korean actor. Accommodations for the drama's 80 Korean staffers will also be provided for free.

The first shoot on March 10 is an action scene featuring Lee, Kim Tae-hee, Jeong Jun-ho and TOP, a member of the boy band Big Bang. The 20-episode spy action series is jointly directed by filmmaker Yang Yun-ho, known for the movies "Holiday" and "Libera Me," and TV producer Kim Gyu-tae, who made the drama "Love I Want to Kill."

Meanwhile, Lee is returning to the small screen for the first time since the SBS hit drama "All In" 6 years ago. He will hold a large scale fan meeting in Tokyo on Feb. 28 -- he will be meeting his Japanese fans more than one year after his LBH Arena Tour in late 2007.

source: KBS Global

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

[ Korean Drama 2008 ] When It's At Night



Genre: Romance, comedy
Episodes: 17
Broadcast network: MBC
Broadcast period: 2008-Jun-23 to 2008-Aug-19
Air time: Monday & Tuesday 21:55
Official site: http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/everynight/

Cast:
Kim Sun Ah as Heo Cho Hwi
Lee Dong Gun as Kim Bum Sang
Kim Jung Hwa as Wang Joo Hyun
Lee Joo Hyun as Kang Shi Wan

Synopsis:

A story about a single woman in her late thirties and an art scholar with a roving eye for young nubile girls who try to recover a national treasure.
Professional tomb raiders who can tell apart a Goryeo celadon from a white celadon by just smelling the dirt surrounding them and a detective who can tell what kind of criminals they're dealing with by just surveying the remains of a looted tomb... There are others such as the inspectors who dedicate themselves to catching tomb raiders out of patriotism and an art expert who uses high-tech gadgets and his extensive knowledge to spot fakes... These people are involved in cases surrounding cultural heritages and the ups and downs of their lives unfold in this drama with exciting episodes.

The leading male character is an art expert who detects forgeries and restores original art pieces who doesn't get along with the leading female character who is an inspector working for the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea but they work together to solve the case of stolen cultural heritage pieces and they find love along the way. Watching their bizarre dating ritual, people will feel sorry for them and at the same time vicariously feel a flutter in their hearts. There are poignant scenes where the inspectors develop a friendship with the looters they put behind bars. Using high-tech gadgets, the inspectors restore art and identify fakes in this interesting, heart-stopping drama.


source: MBC

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"Boys over Flowers" to Air in Japan from April 12




KBS 2TV's immensely popular drama "Boys over Flowers," based on a hit Japanese comic, will air in Japan from April 12.

Japan's Mnet, a main channel of Korean broadcasts, will air the Korean drama series every Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

Before the airing, Mnet will feature a special program on March 14 highlighting the "F4" actors, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyeon-jung, Kim Beom and Kim Jun.

On March 21, it will air a preview program of the
drama series.

Timed with the broadcast, a large-scale fan meeting is also planned for April 16 at Tokyo Dome City. All four
Korean actors will attend the event.

source: KBS Global

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Sunday, February 01, 2009

Kim Hyeon-jung Cites "Split Personality" over Drama Role



In real life, he would choose first love Han Chae-young

"I thought I would try to avoid criticism for my first acting role. But I'm getting some heat. People say my dialogue deliverance is still awkward. I didn't understand when actors said the character must be internalized. I'm realizing the meaning and will gradually improve my acting."

Kim Hyeon-jung (23) interviewed with KBS on the set of the hit KBS 2TV drama "Boys over Flower" while wearing the uniform of "Sinhwa High School," where he is a student in the drama.

He was closely monitoring his shots despite the hectic filming schedule. He plays Yoon Ji-hu, one of the popular school foursome known as "F4" and the grandson of a former president. Tensions flared from the fifth episode as he created a love triangle with Gu Jun-pyo (played by Lee Min-ho) over heroine Geum Jan-di (Gu Hye-seon).

"I'm rather shy like Ji-hu and my actual facial expressions when I meet a stranger come out during acting. Ji-hu has many internal wounds so conveying facial expressions is, I think, more difficult than saying lines."


"I thought we would shoot in the order of the storyline but we first shot the overseas scene in New Caledonia and Macao. My head was bursting from having to constantly show different emotions. On one film set, I changed into six different outfits. Waiting like for eight hours on set was also tough. We barely had time to eat. But memorizing the lines is not difficult at all. I can easily remember them by just reading them out loud a few times."

He said his most memorable scene in the series so far was in episode 5, when Ji-hu confessed his feelings to Jan-di at their school hideout.


He also said he read the original Japanese comic and found the scene interesting when Ji-hu asks Jan-di to date him behind Gu Jun-pyo's back. He said it's not his opinion alone, and that many other readers also regard this scene as highly important in the plot development.

Until the sixth episode, Kim is "sandwiched" between the younger Jan-di and elder Min Seo-hyeon (
Han Chae-young).

"I was never in a love triangle in real life. In real life, I would choose Min because she is the one whom Ji-hu liked first. I believe first love is more important. For me, when I'm dating, I make it a rule not to be distracted by any other person."


"I used to like girls the same age as myself but I now know that age matters little in love."

He must have felt uneasy about the kiss scenes in his first acting role. One famous anecdote is well known by now. He had a kiss scene during a brief appearance in the KBS 2TV sitcom "Can love be refilled?" Before the scene, he asked the staff if he needed to put his tongue in his partner's mouth. He revealed the story only recently on an entertainment program.

"Kissing with Gu Hye-seon in New Caledonia was more nerve-racking than the scene with Han Chae-young later on, though the latter appears first in the drama. Now I joke around and am at ease with Gu. I've also become close with Lee Min-ho. We eat together and play billiards. Gu and Lee are both highly committed to their roles. I learn a lot from them."

Due to his aristocratic character, Kim finds himself more polite in speech and behavior in real life. His longtime friends from the Songpa district in Seoul make fun of him.

"I live a high life on screen but drink soju in street stalls in real life. I feel I have a split personality (laugh)."

He is also proud of his group,
SS501, who are currently missing two members, himself and Park Jeong-min, who is appearing in the musical "Grease."

"Their success will lay the groundwork for our resumed activity in July when we release a new album and begin our Asia tour. I just want to thank the three active members."

source: KBS Global

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