Baek Yoon-sik (백윤식)

Hallyu Wood Draws Attention of Asian Press

2008/06/03 | Source | Permalink |

Ten major press agencies around Asia flocked to cover the launch of the construction of the Hallyu Wood Theme Park and the Hallyu Wood Start Festival.

A 34-year-old reporter from Hong Kong's cable network CEN spent a busy day interviewing Korean celebrities in Ilsan, the venue of the Hallyu Wood Start Festival. She said that the Hallyu Wood complex will be a great entertainment space for Asian fans of Korean cultural content.

Another reporter from a Japanese cable network program entitled 'Movie Plus' also expressed his hope that Hallyu Wood would become a great venue for cultural exchange.

Choi Ji-woo, Jewelry, Kim Ah-joong, Big Bang, Jo Hyeon-jae, Lee Hye-young, Baek Yoon-sik and Lim Kwon-taek were among the celebrities who were present at the festival....| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

[Special Report] Is there a limit to the stars' guarantees?

2008/02/28 | Source | Permalink |

Recently, the Minister of Culture and Arts, Yoo In-Chun's private property was revealed to be over 14 billion-won. Some said that he had gained too much wealth, but he thinks otherwise. He said, "These are all from my 30 years of acting career. Some may think I have too much private wealth, but look at Bae Yong-joon".

How much would the stars be paid? Recently, the guarantees of the Korean Waves stars' moved to around 50 million-won (~$US 50,000) for every drama episodes. The following article investigated the skyrocketing increases in the stars' guarantees.

At this very moment, the guarantees in the film industry remained relatively constant since 2005~2006. Even though, the stars get paid few billion-wons for every film, it's relatively slow increase compare to the geometric progression in the guarantees of the Korean Waves stars.

On top of that, as the Korean film industry had few downturns and the reduction in the production fees came about, some sensible actors reduced ...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

"The President's Last Bang" Released in Japan

2007/12/26 | Source | Permalink |

Lim Sang-soo's black comical take on the assassination of military dictator PARK Chung Hee "The President's Last Bang" has been released in Tokyo, Japan, on the 15th. From there the film will travel to other Japanese cities for screenings. The film stars HAN Seok-kyu and BAEK Yoon-sik.

Lim told Japanese fans that up until now "The President's Last Bang" is the film he wanted to make the most. The film was somewhat controversial in Korea, since it deals with a sensitive event in Korea's modern history. However, the film was praised by critics for its bold and humorous approach of the subject matter.

Writer/director Lim enriches Korean cinema by not shying away from possible controversial subjects. In "A Good Lawyer's Wife", he tackled the institution marriage and conservative concepts about relationships between men and women. With his latest "The Old Garden", he returned to Korea's tumultuous modern history by portraying a man who is released after seventeen years of imprisonme...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

Baek Yoon-sik Cast in US-Korea Co-Production

2007/11/20 | Source | Permalink |

An actor with inimitable screen presence, Korea's Baek Yoon-sik ("Tazza: The High Rollers" ("The War of Flower"), "The President's Last Bang", "Save the Green Planet") has caught the eye of filmmaker Nora Jacobson and has agreed to star opposite Amy Irving and Korean actress KIM Yoon-jin (ABC's Lost ) in "The Hanji-Box". Budgeted at under US$5 million, the US-Korea co-production will be the first ever to shoot primarily in Korea. The film is scheduled to shoot in Vermont, USA in April 2008 and then for about six weeks in Seoul during May and June.

Vermont-based independent filmmaker Jacobson ("Nothing Like Dreaming" (2004)) will direct the film based on her original screenplay. The story revolves around an American woman (Irving) who comes to Seoul in order to mend a relationship with her daughter, a Korean adoptee, played by KIM. While visiting a gallery, she grows interested in the work of a painter (Baek) whom she eventually meets and falls in love with.

The project wil...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?

Middle-Aged Men Escape, Onscreen

2007/09/11 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

A lineup of heartwarming family movies await audiences with Korea's thanksgiving holiday Chuseok around the corner. Among them, "Bravo My Life - 2007", "The Happy Life" and "Wild Hogs", show that one can never be too late to rock 'n' roll or hit the road on bikes. The latent spirit of youth awakens in middle-aged men, providing much laughter and tears for audiences of all ages, especially fathers.

White-collar Band Sings `Bravo My Life - 2007'

Four veteran actors, Baek Yoon-sik ("Art of Fighting", 2000), Park Joon-gyoo ("My Wife is a Gangster 2", 2003) and Im Ha-ryong ("Welcome to Dongmakgol", 2005) make breakthrough lead performances in "Bravo My Life - 2007", now showing in theaters. Inspired by the true story of a group of white-collar rockers Gapgeunse (Grade A Earned Income Tax) Band, the movie traces the depressing retirement of Min-hyuk (Baek Yoon-sik).

Diligent but far from ambitious, 50-year-old Min-hyuk dedicated 30 years to his firm...| More

To participate to HanCinema, you must sign up or log in. Sign up, Why ?