Jeong Yong-ki (정용기)

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

"Descendants of Hong Gil-dong" ("Hong's Family Business" - working title) by Jeong Yong-ki, who directed the second and third installments of the "Marrying the Mafia" series, brings yet another family slapstick that provides bona fide lighthearted entertainment.

Earlier this year, mid-budget films such as "Speedy Scandal" have shown that good old humor rooted in witty ideas can prevail. "Hong's" relies on classic formulas ― a cast of endearing actors playing quirky characters, B-movie humor that retains a certain uniformity in the internal logic of the film and an adeptly crafted mise-en-scene that shows that mind boggling spectacles aren't crucial to a fulfilling audiovisual experience.

The Hongs are the perfect model family ― Mu-hyeok ...More

The seventh edition of the New York Korean Film Festival is set to run August 22 – 31. Sponsored by KOFIC and The Korea Society, the event will screen more than 15 recent Korean features, of which 14 have been finalized for the line-up.

Highlights include one of the top-grossing Korean films of 2008, "Forever the Moment", a sports-redemption-themed film directed by Lim Soon-rye and starring Moon So-ri and Kim Jeong-eun. Other 2008 releases in the line-up are "...More

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Investigation dramas are the trend on cable television screens. But instead of the ordinary cat-and-mouse plots, various headways are under way.

Korean fans have been loyal to these programs ― from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", and "Cold Case" to "Without a Trace". MBC Dramanet's "Byeolsoongeom" also caught the eye of local and overseas fans with its distinctive investigation plots carried out in the Joseon era (1392-1910) last year. The program was recently nominated in the television drama section of the 48th Monte-Carlo Television Festival.

Now, more local productions are joining in. OCN's "Don't Ask of my Past" (working title), tvN's "My Cop" and Super Action's "KPSI (Korea Police Scientific Investigation): Season 2", are gearing up for a season of sexy, funny and serio...More

For many Koreans, the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945) is remembered as one of the bleakest, most devastating times in history. Films about this era usually portray historical events that remind viewers of Korea's tragic past as a subordinate country.
"Once Upon a Time" dates to 1940s Korea under Japanese reign, but interestingly, it takes a rather humorous and easygoing tone.
The story begins as the Japanese governor-general orders a search for the legendary 20-carat diamond called the Holy Light of the East. The diamond has been placed in the forehead of the Great Buddha in Sukkuram Grotto to shine at sunrise.
Park Yong-woo stars as a shallow yet attractive master thief, Bong-gu, who will stea...More

"Stepping out of the comfort zones"
Literally, an actor makes their living through their outer image. Thus they undergo an endless changes and transformation in order to unfold their hidden charms. Recently, the female actors who had been hidden under the tag of being 'sexy' or 'innocent' took a critical counterattack to bring out their true charms.

Korea's No.1 sexy beauties Jeon Ji-hyeon and Kim Jeong-eun transformed themselves into free and easy-going characters without any make-ups; and the No. 1 innocent beauties, Son Ye-jin and Lee Bo-yeong brought out their strong femme fatale sexiness. The following is the stories of HOT ladies' transformations in their HOT movies.

■Sexy beauty → Innocent beauty

▶ "A Man Who Was Superman" : Jeon Ji-hyeon
In her film, "The man who was a superman" (CJ Entertainment Co., directed by Jeong Yoon-cheol) Jeon Ji-hyeon transformed into a TV station producer and took away her previous image of having the perfect 'S-line' body.

Many agree that the boyish attractiveness in Jeon Ji-hyeon was rediscovered in her loose T-shirt and pants without any make-ups and jewelleries. With black and white as th...More