Jung Woo-sung Returns to TV with New Hit Drama

SBS TV drama "Athena: Goddess of War," a kind of sequel to spy action soap "Iris," got off to a great start, with the first two episodes aired on Monday and Tuesday last week surpassing 25 percent viewer ratings. The show is Jung Woo-sung's first TV drama in 15 years.

Did he feel under pressure to build on the big success of "Iris?" "Now I can think beyond that, but I was extremely nervous until the first episode aired," he admits. Why did he decide to return to the TV screen after 15 years of absence? "Many fans said they would like to see me on TV as well. There was also a strategic side, because TV drama can help propel my career outside of Korea and earn a greater fan base overseas. I'd been looking for a suitable soap for the last four years, and then I got a proposal from the 'Athena' crew, who are familiar with filmmaking."

Unlike the intelligence agents portrayed in "Iris," according to Jung, it might take some time for the viewers to get used to the new style of humorous and warm-hearted agent depicted in the character he plays.

How has he managed to maintain his heartthrob image since his debut in 1994? "Maybe I've been able to do it because I constantly thought that I need to find my own unique appeal. I never wanted to be like someone else."

source: Chosun Ilbo

Kim Hyun Joong to Appear in Cameo in ‘Dream High’

Singer and actor Kim Hyun Joong (24) will make a cameo appearance in the KBS 2TV drama “Dream High,” which will air from next January.

In the drama, which Bae Yong Joon and Park Jin Young co-produced, Kim Hyun Joong will play a star actor who is coming back to the country after conducting overseas activities.

Kim filmed the scene in which he met Bae Young Joon, who plays the chairman of the board of Kirin Art School, the best star training school, at the Incheon international airport on December 7. It was the first time that Kim Hyun Joong and Bae Yong Joon appeared in a scene together after Kim had transferred to Bae’s agency, Keyeast. The production company of “Dream High” said, “Bae Yong Joon monitored Kim’s acting and carefully provided advice about his acting. We had actually planned to film the scene without advance notice as we had worried that too many people might gather at the airport, but many fans were waiting at the airport from the early morning anyway and the entrance of the airport was almost blocked.”

“Dream High,” which will air its first episode on January 3, will portray the process of how students at Kirin Art School become world stars through constant challenges.

source: KBS Global

Movie version of TV series "IRIS" to be released next week

Poster of TV series "IRIS" [Taewon Entertainment]

The movie version of Korean blockbuster TV series "IRIS" will be released next week.

A press release from the show's producer Taewon Entertainment announced Friday that "IRIS: THE MOVIE" will be available for download through contents distribution company cine21i on November 22.

"IRIS: THE MOVIE," reconstituted from the 20-part drama, will feature the truth about the death of character Hyun-jun (played by actor Lee Byung-hun) as well as new scenes.

Drama "IRIS," which aired in Korea on major broadcasting company KBS from October 2009 to December 2009, starred several of the biggest names in the entertainment industry including Kim Tae-hee, Jung Joon-ho, Kim So-yeon and Big Bang member T.O.P.

The action-packed espionage series dominated the primetime lineup during its run, scoring viewership ratings of nearly 40 percent.

The movie will be available through IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), cable networks including PPV and 100 online websites next week.

Reporter : Lucia Hong luciahong@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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“Super Junior” Sungmin cast in new drama “PRESIDENT”

Actor Park Sung-min [Feel-Lime EG Entertainment]

Sungmin from popular 13-member boy band “Super Junior” has been cast in a new KBS drama which will premiere next month.

Feel-Lime EG Entertainment, producer of the drama, announced through a press release Monday that the singer will play the son of a president in an upcoming series titled "PRESIDENT” starring veteran actor Choi Su-jong.

Sungmin will star as a graduate student who wishes to follows his father’s footsteps to become a politician. In the story, however, his attempts to help with this father’s election campaign only gets him into trouble for using means that are less than justifiable.

“It’s an amazing coincidence that name of the president’s son in the drama is Sung-min too, and we believe he is made for the role,” officials with the show's producer were quoted as saying. “He a perfectly prepared actor, gifted not only in singing and dancing but also in acting.”

"PRESIDENT" will not be Sungmin's first attempt at acting -- he played the young-version of one of the main characters in MBC drama “Sea of Sisters” in 2005. The upcoming drama will be the first role he takes on as a grown-up.

“It’s been a while since I have acted so I can’t wait,” Sungmin said in the press release. “It’s different from the first time I acted. Stay tuned because I’d like to show how much I’ve changed.”

“PRESIDENT,” about civil rights lawyer Jang Il-joon's (Choi) journey to presidency, caught additional attention for the casting of actress Ha Hee-ra, the real wife of actor Choi, as the first lady.

The drama will air Wednesdays and Thursdays starting December 8 after “Fugitive: Plan B” starring Rain and Lee Na-young ends its run.

Reporter: Heidi Kim heidikim@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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[ Korean Drama 2009 ] Heading to the Ground

Genre: Romance, Sport
Episodes: 16
Broadcast network: MBC
Broadcast period: 2009-Sep-09 to 2009-Nov-04
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 21:55

Cast:
U-Know Yunho as Bong-gun Cha
Ko Ara as Hae-bin Kang
Lee Sang-Yun as Seung-woo Jang
Lee Yun-Ji as Yeon-lee Oh

Synopsis:
Heading to the Ground is a story about a talented but misfortunate soccer player.

Bong-gun, a soccer player with great potential, wants to become a member of the national soccer team. As he works towards his goal, he meets Hae-bin, an attractive and independent rookie sports agent who ends up bickering with him all the time. With Seung-woo, an elite attorney, as his arch-enemy, Bong-gun’s journey towards love and success is rough. To make matters more complicated, it turns out that Yeon-lee, Bong-gun’s childhood friend and the soccer team nutritionist, has a secret crush on him.

[source: http://content.mbc.co.kr ]

Gallery:

SHINee Minho to make acting debut through KBS drama

Minho from boy band SHINee [Zoom Agency]

Minho, a member of a popular boy band SHINee, will make his acting debut through

"KBS Drama Special," a 24-part single-episode omnibus series showing on the major public network.

According to a press release distributed by PR agency Zoom on Tuesday, Minho will appear as Oh Je-ro, a man in his twenties who is gifted in music, in the show's final episode titled "Pianist" set to go on air November 20.

In the story, Je-ro is a young man who despite his musical talent, was unable to hone his skill due to financial reasons and has been forced to work in a piano factory in place of his sick father for years.

Then one day, Je-ro falls in love with music teacher Yoon In-sa, to be played by actress Han Ji-hye.
,
“It’s my first time acting so I’m very excited, happy and hopeful,” Minho was quoted as saying while filming the drama for the first time yesterday.

Minho, 19, debuted as a member of five-member boy band SHINee in 2008. He and his fellow bandmates Key, Jonghyun, Taemin and Onew have produced many hits songs since then including “Replay,” “Ring Ding Dong” and “LUCIFER.”

Han, a well-known actress in Korea, has appeared in several movies and dramas since debuting in 2001 as a supermodel.

Reporter : Heidi Kim heidikim@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
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