Lee Ki Woo talks about Suicide!

‘Flower Boy Ramyun Shop‘ actor Lee Ki Woo was the next star to be interviewed on the topic of suicide for a suicide prevention campaign led by major Korean media outlets like TV Report and BNT News.
Titled ’A Beautiful Korea Living Together‘, the campaign aims to fill Korean society with love and hope, and has brought together the support of top stars to speak on the issue in hopes of bringing more attention to the cause.
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Q. “What do you think about suicide? What do you think leads people to make such extreme decisions?”

“Everyone suffers from heartache. Unless you’ve gone through exactly what they are suffering from, you’ll never know how much pain they are suffering from. Still, suicide should never be an option. If you flip the world ‘suicide (ja sal)’, it becomes ‘to live (sal ja)’. When you go to the army, there are a lot of suicide prevention posters as well as training and lessons. I think listening to people that need help is one of the biggest ways to help the cause. If someone has at least one other person to hold on to and have their story heard, it could go a long way in preventing that person from thinking of ending their life.”

Q. “Was there ever a moment so difficult that you wanted to end your own life?”

“Ever since I was little, I saw my family overcome obstacles by coming together and fighting through it as a family. So even if I myself as an individual felt hardship, I never felt that I was alone. I can clearly see how much it would hurt my family if I were to give myself up that way.”
Q. “How do you overcome your obstacles?”
“I exercise, go out for drinks with my manager or close friends, and talk with my family.”

Q. “Do you know any celebrities on the brink of suicide?”

“I did see some, as well as some that just couldn’t come out of the ditch they had thrown themselves in. Whenever I see that, I’ll ask if we could go out for a meal and try to get them to think about their life in a different light. The rest is up to them.”
Q. “What will you be pursuing in the future?”

“I’m planning to take a break over the winter. I began working on a drama immediately after being discharged so I didn’t have a lot of freedom. I hope to go on vacation with some friends and train for my next drama. There are also Japanese promotions lined up starting January so I’ll also be studying up on the language.”

We Got Married awarded best couples 2011!

 

MBC ‘s hit program ‘We Got Married‘ closed out the year by holding the ’2011 We Got Married Award Ceremony’.
‘We Got Married”s final 2011 episode reflected back on the best moments of the year, and chose this year’s ‘Best Couple’.
Awards handed to the couples included ‘Most Jealous Award’, ‘Best Sound Award’, ‘Best Tears Award’, as well as the one everyone desired to receive, ‘Best Couple Award’.
The ‘Best Couple Award’ was awarded to the couple who could show the most affection towards one another on the spot.

Singer Eru to star in an Indonesian film

Korean singer Eru will play a cameo role in an upcoming Indonesian movie called "Hello Goodbye". The entertainer wrapped up production for his appearance in the film on location in Busan, Korea, on Dec. 27.
The movie to open next year is directed by Indonesia's top director Titien Wattimena. It is a love story between a young Indonesian couple living in Korea. Famed actress Atiqah Hasiholan will play the lead female character.
Eru will play a minor role as a singer and perform his hit song "Black Glasses" in the movie. This is the first time the 28-year-old entertainer has acted in a movie.
"Black Glasses will be sung by Eru in the movie. The singer has plans to visit Indonesia three times leading up to the film's opening in order to participate in the press release and movie premiere and to promote the film", a representative from Eru's agency said.
Eru made his debut as a singer in 2005 with the album "Begin to Breathe" and is the son of veteran trot singer Tae Jin-ah. This year, the entertainer hosted "Wave K", a K-pop show on the OBS network, along with singer Brian.

By Carla Sunwoo [carlasunwoo@joongang.co.kr]

[2011 Top 10 stories] Korean Wave gets 2nd wind

Koreans used to be the ones crazy about entertainers from overseas. High school girls tried to break into the sold-out 1969 Richard Cliff concert. When New Kids on the Block came in 1992, Korean fans stampeded, injuring 70 and killing one. The tables have turned. Overseas fans now rave

K-celebrities now VCR1

We go wherever the stars go! Here's the hottest entertainment news of the week! Let's go!
Let's start with singer Kim Tae-woo, who heard wedding bells chime on Tuesday!
Kim Tae-woo is one of Korea's top vocals, effortlessly gliding through songs of different genres.
Kim Tae-woo held a private wedding on the morning of the 26th, and uploaded photos for his fans on Twitter. We heard from the wedding guests that the ceremony was like a fun concert. Congratulations, Kim Tae-woo! Always be happy!

'A Reason to Live': A dark, rigid drama that fails to take flight

Song Hye-kyo as Da-hye in "A Reason to Live". Provided by Lotte Entertainment
The third feature film by Lee Jeong-hyang, "A Reason to Live", takes on a darker tone from the same director that helmed the popular rom-com "Art Museum By The Zoo" (1998) more than a decade ago.
Da-hye (Song Hye-kyo), a TV producer, loses her fiance, Sang-ho, on her birthday, when he is hit by a motorbike. When the driver of the motorbike sees him knocked down, he brutally runs him over a second time and makes sure he is dead.

K-Pop taking over the world? Don't make me laugh

K-Pop is great for Asia, but don't believe the hallyu hype about global domination. The world's biggest music markets simply don't care

By Esther Oh 26 May, 2011

Having followed the Korean media for some time, I’m all too familiar with the unrestrained embellishment of hallyu.
Every time I read an article raving about how successful the Wonder Girls are in the States, or how Rain is a “world star,” I can’t help but cringe.
Don’t get me wrong. I agree that K-Pop is being listened to outside of Korea and that it has an international fan base, but the media’s coverage of hallyu and K-Pop feel-gooderies is ridiculously one-sided.

What does the United States think of Girls' Generation?

With the girls' U.S. album being released today, we asked a selection of Americans across the country what they make of all the K-Pop fierceness

By CNNGo staff 1 November, 2011 
 

 

Run the world girls. 

 

So will Girls' Generation's next target audience know what hit 'em?

Will they understand the lyrics?

Will Girls' Generation be hotter be Selena Gomez?

With the Korean pop sensations poised to "take over America" (or at least try to) we asked fans in the world's great consumer music market to preview the band's latest video, "The Boys."

Actor Yoo Ah-in chosen to be sports brand Diadora's new model

Diadora Korea announced on Dec. 26 that actor Yoo Ah-in from the hit movie "Wan-deuk-i" ("Punch") was selected to become the brand's model.

"We feel that Yoo's innocent yet rebellious streak fits in well with our brand's sporty image, and therefore we've chosen him to represent us", a spokesperson from the brand said.

Diadora is a newcomer to the sportswear industry in Korea, having only emerged on the scene in August. Production for print advertisements and television commercials featuring Yoo will start next month followed by marketing campaigns to promote the brand.

The 25-year-old Yoo is a child actor who received much acclaim for his acting skills in this year's smash hit Korean movie "Punch", based on a novel by Kim Ryeo-ryeong of the same title. The book sold 700,000 copies since being published in 2008 and tells the coming-of-age tale of a teenage boy who is from a multiethnic family and has terrible grades. Fighting seems to be the only path the boy has to a better life.

Aside from starring in the movie, Yoo has acted in the hit drama "Sungkyunkwan Scandal", earning him much respect in the drama genre. Ans he's to star in the upcoming drama "Fashion King".

Korea receives 9 million foreign visitors in 2011

Korea's 9 millionth visitor of 2011, Takenaka Teruko from Japan, is greeted by Lee Charm, CEO of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) and Choe Kwang-shik, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism (photo: Yonhap News).

2011 was a busy year for Korea's tourism industry, as the country welcomed over 9 million tourists throughout the year. On December 1, a special event was held at Incheon International Airport in recognition of the milestone, rolling out the red carpet and offering gifts for the 9 millionth visitor to Korea. This is an improvement on last year, which achieved the milestone of 8 million visitors.

Glamorous Taecyeon and Kim Tae-hee meet for a birthday greeting

On December 27th 2PM's Taecyeon posted this picture on his Twitter, noting, "Today is my birthday. This is an old picture but it shows that on the last day of drama filming I received some birthday wishes".

The photo is from the set of Fuji TV's "99 Days with My Star" and an ecstatic-looking Taecyeon is posing with Kim Tae-hee. In the photo, Taecyeon is receiving a bouquet of flowers with a warm pose and Kim Tae-hee is wearing a bright smile while she makes a "V" with her hand.

K-Pop Calendar becomes worldwide sensation

The 2012 K-Pop Photo Calendar (photographed by Hwang Dana and Cindy Ji-Eon Kim)

In light of the ever-growing K-pop craze, a government-produced calendar featuring K-pop icons is causing a sensation among K-pop fans and youths around the globe.

The 2012 K-Pop Photo Calendar, designed and distributed by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), instantly went out of stock upon arrival at about 170 embassies, consulate offices, and overseas Korean Cultural Centers. The unexpected level of popularity compelled the Culture Ministry-affiliated organization to release a second batch, less than two months after the official release of its first run.
On December 25, the calendar became the top search word on one of Korea's most frequented search engines, Daum (www.daum.net), spreading quickly through clicks and "word of mouse" via social networking channels.

The Dark Side of Korean Drama

credit: http://www.hancinema.net

It's no big mystery, by now, that celebrities are having it rough in Korea. Singers and actors alike. These problems are also present in the kpop industry, but others are better equipped to talk about those than I. So I will be focusing on actors for this article, especially those who work in television. A tough place to be, for an artist. I will also talk about these issues in general, as well as in relation to the actors.

The problems with television are indeed many and they all have their reasons, their guilty parties and their own impact on the lives of the people they touch. They also have ways to be dealt with and people who can do that. People with power to effect change and improve both actors' lives and the industry as well. But I will talk a bit about the major problems in this post. The working conditions, the issue of quality, censorship and playing it safe and the spoiled and cruel audience.

Working Conditions

Secret marriage, lawsuits, rumors: stars make headlines

Singer Seo Tai-ji, left, and actress Lee Ji-ah shocked the nation with their marriage history. / Korea Times file
By Noh Hyun-gi

For the most, entertainers make us laugh with their talents. But they are often the scrutiny of the limelight themselves, prompting news, sometimes rumors and controversies.

Here are the top entertainment news items that made headlines in 2011.

I. Marriage and divorce of Seo and Lee

On April 21, Sports Seoul, a local newspaper, revealed that legendary singer Seo Tai-ji, 39, and actress Lee Ji-ah, 30, were once lawfully married and were filing for a divorce. Specifically, Lee had filed for alimony and division of property amounting to 5 billion won through a Korean law firm, Barun Law, earlier this year.

APink discusses their success!

 

In a market where only the most powerful of performances catches the eye, A Pink decided to blaze their own path by going the exact opposite route, opting instead to charm with their aegyo-filled performances of “I Don’t Know“, and more recently, “My My“.

T-ara on Oricon Style!

 

The members of T-ara were recently interviewed on Japan’s ‘Oricon Style‘, where they revealed what they wanted to receive the most for Christmas.

miss A’s Suzy praised because of her manners!

 

Miss A‘s Suzy has caught the attention of staff and co-stars alike for her respectful manners on KBS‘s ‘Invincible Youth 2‘.

'City Hunter' producer Jin Hyeok, 'Lee Min-ho is an innocent and complicated actor'

Producer Jin Hyeok revealed his affection for the drama 'City Hunter'.

Jin Hyeok, who is producing the SBS drama 'City Hunter' coming the 25th of May has been creating dramas with human love and impression such as 'Painter of the Wind', 'Shining Inheritance' and 'Prosecutor Princess'. These three have been acknowledged quality-wise and were very popular.

2NE1's 'Lonely' Video #1 On YouTube

Popular idol group 2NE1 has made their mark on the international community through their latest single, 'Lonely'.

After releasing their new song at midnight on May 12th, the girls swept through all the major music charts, taking over the number one spot by the morning of the 13th.

More than that, on the internationally used YouTube website, the music video for 'Lonely' has already attracted over one million hits, placing the girls at first place in the music sector.

'City Hunter' Lee Min-ho is a 100% sharp shooter

Actor Lee Min-ho showed off his shooting skills in the Thailand shoot for new SBS drama 'City Hunter' coming this 25th.

According to the productions on the 11th, Lee Min-ho was extremely good at shooting in Thailand and put everyone in awe.

Lee Min-ho had been getting private lessons from a shooting expert even before going to Thailand to become a 'City Hunter'.

Using the national shooting ranges from time to time, he had been building on his skills. He was as good as a real shooter in Thailand and kept practicing like it was the real thing.