Kim Jong-hak (김종학)

John Woo selects KIM Jong-hak

Source | 2009/06/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Global star director JOHN Woo puts his faith in Korean director KIM Jong-hak to realize the classic epic Chinese tale Magic Bell's cinematic 3D special effects laden adaptation. KIM was praised for his pan-Asian television hit drama "The Legend".

John Woo's business partner Terence Chang said he was impressed by KIM's "The Legend" because of its "high production values and ground-breaking visual style". John Woo and Terence Chang's Lion Rock Productions is producing the Chinese-language big budget fantasy project. Lion Rock partners up with Korea's Kimjonghak Production and Taiwanese Tosowa Entertainment.

Casting is on the way, and both Korean stars Won Bin and JUNG Ji-hoon (aka singer "Rain"/Bi) are rumoured to be considered for leading roles. Renee Yuan has been cast.

Guo Zheng (Red Cliff)is writing the scenario about a warrior who is faced with the responsibility to defeat a demoness he is in love with to save humanity. Filming should commence in 2010 and the cinematic re...| More

'Sandglass' Voted Best Korean Soap Since 1980

Source | 2009/02/11 | 0 comments | Permalink |

"Sandglass" (1994) was voted the best Korean TV soap opera since 1980 by 20 star producers and drama writers, including Kim Jong-hak, Choi Wan-gyoo and Noh Hee-kyeong.

"Sandglass", written by Song Ji-na and directed by Kim, was praised for its realistic portrayal of how dark political situations affect individuals' lives. It was so popular that people often went home early from work to catch it.

"Jewel in the Palace" ("Dae Jang Geum" - 2004), which was hyped as the ultimate TV soap opera, came in second. "Eyes of Dawn" took third place, followed by "Winter Sonata" and "You and I". ...| More

Why 'Yonsama' Didn't Wow the Japanese This Time

Source | 2008/09/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

"Taewangsasingi ("The Legend", The Four Guardian Gods of the King)" featuring Korean wave Bae Yong-joon as King Kwanggaeto the Great of the Koguryo Kingdom, was a hit in Korea last year with ratings up to 37.5 percent. The work of Kim Jong-hak and Song Ji-na, producer and script writer of a perennial hit "Sandglass", "The Legend" was expected to draw as much popularity in Japan as it did in Korea, but on a terrestrial channel NHK at 11 p.m. on Saturday, its rating remains at around 7 percent. The last episode is to be aired on Sep. 27. Given such enormous popularity of Bae in Japan, where he is known as Yonsama, and more than 20 percent ratings for "Winter Sonata", which made him a superstar there, the figure shows the predicament Korean soap operas are in at the moment.

Japanese viewers say that "The Legend" is too confusing. Unlike in Korea, historical soaps are not popular and find it hard to get ratings of more than 10 percent. Despite flashy computer graphic works and colorful ...| More

Bae Yong-joon rekindles Korean wave

Source | 2008/07/11 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Lee Ji-yoon

Asia's heartthrob Bae Yong-joon visited Japan last month to promote his latest TV drama "The Legend" ( "Taewangsashingi" - "The Four Guardian Gods of the King"). Since the premiere of the movie "April Snow" three years ago, it was his first official visit to the country where he is affectionately known as "Yonsama".

Bae and other co-stars participated in the premium event held in Osaka on June 1, attracting more than 35,000 people and keen interest from the Japanese media.

The epic blockbuster drama, aired by Japanese public broadcaster NHK, is about the life of the King Gwanggyeto of the Goguryeo Dynasty (37 B.C.-A.D. 68). While King Gwanggyeto is considered the most charismatic conqueror controlling neighboring territories in Korean history, Bae played the king with a soft side.

Bae made an opening remark in Japanese, saying "It's good to see you Japanese, who are like a family to me. It's been a long time. I'm here to introduce my new drama to you. You've ...| More

Movie-Based Dramas to Fill TV Screens

Source | 2008/07/08 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Amid the ongoing search for catchy, stylish, attractive ideas for local dramas, many drama-makers have turned to themes that have already been seen to be popular. Movie-based dramas are no longer new, but the race for the best-made remake is expected to get more competitive with "IRIS", "Tazza" (working title), "Friends: The Unfinished Tale" (working title) and "Beat".

The 1999 movie "Shiri" was a steppingstone for Korean cinema, being considered the first blockbuster movie that captivated local movie fans with its distinctive plot and action scenes. Now the hit movie that depicted the lives of secret agents is coming back to television screens as "IRIS". In order to bring movie-like elements onto the smaller screen, the drama will be written and produced by Taewon Entertainment and Kang Je-gyu Film, both famous movie agencies here, and will boast a budget of 20 billion won. Korean heartthrob Lee Byeong-heon ("All In", 2003) will appear as the myst...| More