Lee Dong-wook (이동욱)

(From left) Korean actor Jo In-Seong, TV personality Boom and actor Kim Jae-won salute at a military concert hosted by military broadcasting TV station KFN. [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

"We all love the Republic of Korea!" It was actor Kim Jae-won who suggested that they all cry out the cringy phrase and TV personality Boom and actor Jo In-Seong complied to the request. To imagine that this quite unlikely mix of celebrities would make such a patriotic remark. But like in Wonderland where abnormal behavior is not regarded as abnormal, here at the concert for military officials hosted by military broadcasting TV station KFN, everything was in harmony and dissolved into one. Even when Tony of H.O.T., Andy of Shinhwa, Jang Su-won and Kim Jae-duc appeared one after another, there was no conflict among the former boy band members...More

Celebrities currently serving their military duty will be out to take part in a special military program in March. The 2010 KCTA Digital Cable TV Show will host a two-hour special Korean Forces Network event for the viewing audience. The show will be held at KINTEX, an exhibition hall in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province at 7 o'clock on March 5th.

The special KFN event will be hosted by comedian Boom, Kim Jae-won of H.O.T., and actor Jo In-sung, and will feature such celebrated stars as Tony Ahn of H.O.T., brainy Kim Jeong-hoon of U.N., Dynamic Duo, Andy of ...More

By Jonathan M. Hicap
Korea Times Correspondent

Even before K-pop, Filipinos were long fans of imported dramas.

Soap operas and drama series have become a staple for daytime and primetime viewing in the Philippines.

In the 1990s, Mexican telenovelas became the mania, with huge hits like "Rosalinda" and "Marimar" attracting ratings above 50 percent.

Asian dramas, including Korean, have become hits in the 2000s.

The huge demand from viewers for Asian telenovelas has prompted Philippine TV stations to import Korean and Taiwanese dramas.

Top Korean drama series (locally called "Koreanovelas") like "Lovers in Paris", "Full House", "My Name is Kim Sam-soon", "Stairway to Heaven" and "Coffee Prince" were imported and dubbed in Filipino, instantly becoming hits.

The success of "Dae Jang Geum" (or "Jewel in the Palace") in Korea was also replicated in the Philippines and many other Asian countries.

The Taiwanese drama "Meteor Garden" was also a ratings success when it aired years ago.

Its remake, the Korean "Boys over Flowers" starring Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Beom, Kim Jun and actress Koo Hye-seon, also succeeded in capturing audiences. It was aired in the Philippines on ABS-CBN from May to August and became a phenomenal success.

"It is the phenome...More

Lee Dong-wook has entered the military service boot camp for 5 weeks for beginner's training. He has entered today and will be serving the country for two years.

Recently he has been in the drama "The Partner" and the movie "Doenjang" which are finished.

...More

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Supporting actors appearing in local dramas have begun unleashing their charms, and more viewers are starting to recognize their presence.

MBC's hit drama "Queen Seon-deok" boasts a lineup of interesting characters surrounding the main character, Deok-man, played by Lee Yo-won, who later becomes the first queen in Korea's history.

Lee is not the only actress enjoying the spotlight, as many viewers have taken notice of the villain, Mi-shil, played by Ko Hyeon-jeong.

Mi-shil dreams of becoming queen, but fails when Seondoek makes a splash in political circles. Ko, who is well known for her sweet and tender roles, has successfully transformed herself into the ambitious Mi-shil, who tries to scheme and threaten her way to the throne.

MBC explained before the drama's airing that Ko was originally offered the role of Seondeok, but she actually chose to take the part of the femme fatale after reading the script.

"I thought acting a very clear character would be better for me. I'm breaking out of my original roles, which were balanced and had a certain rhythm. I will do my best not to lose the viewers' attention", Ko said at a press confer...More