Kim Tak-hwan (김탁환)

Actress Named Goodwill Amb. for Progressive Party

2008/03/10 | Source | Permalink |

By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter

Actress Kim Boo-seon will serve as a goodwill ambassador to publicize the tentatively titled New Progressive Party (NPP), alongside photographer Lee Sang-youp and novelist Kim Tak-hwan.

Kim made a name for herself in the 1980s appearing in soft-core pornographic movies such as "Ae-ma Woman 3". She made a return to the entertainment industry with the movie "Spirit of Jeet Kune Do" ("Once Upon A Time In Highschool") and the drama "Phoenix" in 2004. However, she was charged with smoking marijuana and placed on probation.

Kim now campaigns for the decriminalization of marijuana use in Korea, which is receiving mixed responses from supporters of the NPP.

Lee is a renowned documentary photographer. He has held many individual and group photo exhibitions and published books on photography. He also contributes to newspapers such as the Hankyoreh.

Kim Tak-hwan has written many hit novels, including "Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-shin" and "Hwangjin-i", b...| More

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Renaissance of Joseon King Jeongjo

2007/11/13 | Source | Permalink |

Political Season Stirs Up Interest in Kings, Epic Dramas

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

"History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past", historian E.H. Carr once noted.

People living in the modern times seek wise answers by looking to the past, especially when the present is sometimes thrown into a critical state.

The huge popularity of epic dramas is an example of this, although the times are different, the issues are closely related to the present.

Among other historical subjects, King Jeongjo (1776-1800) is receiving attention in major dramas and even books nowadays.

"Lee San, Wind of the Palace" ("Yi San"), now being aired on MBC, is gaining popularity since it opened on Sept. 17. The drama consists of 60 episodes covering the whole life of King Jeongjo who brought the Joseon Kingdom into "the era of renaissance".

Also, a 10-episode drama, titled "Eight Days", which will be broadcast on the cable movie channel CGV on Nov. 17, portrays myst...| More

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A young actress becomes a mature gisaeng

2007/06/16 | Source | Permalink |

Hwang Jin-i, a woman of erotic style and flamboyant intelligence, was excellent at writing poems and drawing and she ridiculed the patriarchal society in which she lived.
Any actress would want to play Hwang Jin-I -- the famous gisaeng is one of the most colorful characters in Korean history, along with Chang Hee-bin and Seong Chun-hyang.
Many movies, dramas and novels have dealt with the life of Hwang Jin-i. Directors have sought out only the most beautiful actresses to play the role.
Do Geum-bong, an actress famed for her sensual body, was the first to play the gisaeng in modern film, starring in "Hwang Jin-i - Movie - 1957" in 1957.
After that, Kang Sook-hee starred in "The Life of Hwang Jin-i (1961)", and Kim Ji-mi followed her in "Hwang Jin-i's First Love (1969)". Kim Ji-mi had a Westernized rather than a traditional Korean appearance.
Chang Mi-hee in "Hwang Jin-i (1986)", directed by Bae Chang-ho, was the most outstanding Hwang Jin-i character, since she was not portraye...| More

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Gisaeng beguile Korea's producers

2006/10/30 | Source | Permalink |

The Korean entertainment industry seems to have found a new buzz word to ignite what's left of its schedule for the rest of 2006.
It's gisaeng. Similar to the Japanese geisha and the ancient Greek hetaerae, gisaeng are traditional Korean female entertainers and they have apparently captured the hearts of entertainment producers nationwide.
Get ready to see much more of them on television, on movie screens and even on the stage. At least until something better comes along.
KBS was the first of the producers to start the gisaeng craze, airing a historical drama which centered on an actual 16th century gisaeng figure named Hwang Jin-i. Since its launch in early October, the drama has captured a respectable 17 percent viewer rating. It features actress Ha Ji-won as the coquettish girl who entices notable men, including the renowned Joseon dynasty philosopher Seo Gyeong-deok. She seduces with her beauty, intellect and a preternatural talent for playing the geomungo, or the long wooden zi...| More

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