Kang Je-gyu (강제규)

Local Pop Culture Facing New Challenges

Source | 2009/05/22 | Permalink |

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Is hallyu, or Korean Wave, waning or still booming? There has been lots of talk about the sustainability of hallyu among industry insiders as the overseas success of some of Korea's TV dramas and movies seemed to have declined in recent years.

Freelance writer Mark James Russell, however, dismisses the term, hallyu. He once jokingly called it "Zombie Wave" for these worriers, arguing that there never was a Korean Wave in the first place, so it couldn't really be said to be dying or anything.

Then, what is the Korean Wave? Korean pop culture crosses many media, demographics and regions and it means very different things to different people.

"I don't like the term, Korean Wave, because it is like a black box. It doesn't really explain anything. Why is something popular with older women in Japan and with younger kids in Southeast Asia and middle-aged men in America? These are very different trends and forces that are happening", Russell said i...| More

Korean Stars Come under One Roof in the U.S.

Source | 2009/04/29 | Permalink |

The merger of two major talent agencies in America, William Morris and Endeavor, has brought Korean stars together under one roof. Contracted with William Morris are Singer "Rain", actress Kim Yoon-jin of the American series "Lost", Daniel Henney of Korean drama "My Name is Kim Sam-soon", and director Park Chan-wook of "Old Boy" and "Lady Vengeance". Now actor Lee Byeong-heon of "G.I. Joe" will join these noted Korean celebrities as a member of the newly merged William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

William Morris is the second largest agency in Hollywood, exerting extensive influence over the entire entertainment business. Endeavor is the fifth largest agency, headed by Ari Emanuel, brother of Ram Emanuel, President Obama's Chief of Staff. Currently the largest talent agency in the United States is CAA, where famed Koreans film directors Kang Je-gyu of "Shiri", Kim Ji-woon of "The Good, the Bad, the Weird", Bong Joon-ho of "The Host", and Lee Jae-han (a.k.a. John H. Lee) of "A Mome...| More

Creativity needed to overcome slump: Kang

Source | 2009/02/16 | Permalink |

'There is one principle that never changes: stick to the basics'.

Kang Je-gyu is one of Korea's best known film directors yet he's only shot three movies: "The Ginko Bed" (1996), "Shiri" (1999) and "Taegukgi" (2004).

Kang has just finished writing the script for his next project and he's now preparing his next movie in Hollywood.

The JoongAng Sunday asked him about the current state of the industry.

JAS: Did you think "Shiri" would become such a big hit?

Not at all. The record held by the movie "Seopyeonje" in 1993 was 1.03 million tickets sold in Seoul [all audience figures are for Seoul], which was regarded as a stand-alone achievement.

To think the movie would go beyond the record ticket sales of 1.97 million for the U.S. movie "Titanic" was just unthinkable.

We made a bet on the number of people who would go to see the movie and I wrote down 800,000, which I thought was really stretching it.

When the actor Shin Hyeon-joon said "Shiri" would draw as many as 1...| More

Why Korean blockbusters went bust

Source | 2009/02/16 | Permalink |

'The history of the Korean movie industry is divided by what happened before and after Shiri'.

It was the gunfight that left critics and film fans so impressed.

Shot in downtown Seoul, it was comparable with the drama and authenticity of a Hollywood action sequence, and helped make Korea's first ever blockbuster, "Shiri", such a monumental success a decade ago.

But now the local movie industry is in desperate straits, and directors and producers are hunting for another model that will re-energize movie making here.

"Shiri", which relates how a North Korean spy gets involved with a South Korean security agent, was a ground-breaking picture because it smashed local box office records and introduced the world to the Korean blockbuster.

It sold an estimated 6.2 million tickets nationwide, breaking existing records for local and international films set by "Seopyeonje" in 1993 and James Cameron's "Titanic" in 1997, respectively.

Choi Wan, at the time a senior official in t...| More

Kim Tae-hee Returns to TV Drama As Lee Byeong-heon's Lover

Source | 2008/10/13 | Permalink |

Actress Kim Tae-hee will make her first TV appearance in four years. According to Kim's management agency, the actress was recently cast as the heroine of a new drama series entitled "IRIS". She will star in the 20-part action drama alongside Lee Byeong-heon. Renowned film director Kang Je-gyu will direct the drama series while screen writer Choi Wan-gyoo will be in charge of the screenplay.

IRIS will be Lee's first drama appearance in five years since "All In". The two actors will take on the role of special government agents that handle terrorist attacks.

The drama series is slated for broadcast next summer. The shooting will begin once casting has been completed....| More