Writer
Noh Hee-kyeong, who is famous for the TV dramas "
Worlds Within" and "Her Beautiful Story", recently talked on KBS TV1's "Literature With A Voice" about her reconciliation with her father, who abandoned their family.
The show's production team said on June 6 that Noh talked about her father, who left the family for another woman and never once sent him money for living. But after Noh learned that her father was terminally ill, she took care of him and reconciled with him. Noh said, "During those difficult moments, I realized how judgmental I was toward my father. I put away any hatred and looked at my father from an objective point of view, and for the first time in my life I felt thankful to him. It hurts to hate others. When you don't love anyone, it's you who is the victim", reciting a li...
MoreBy Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter
Korean literature is booming more than ever despite the economic downturn that has dealt a serious blow to the local publishing industry.
According to the Kyobo Bookstore, sales of Korean literature publications including poems, essays and novels dramatically increased by 35.7 percent in the first quarter over the same period last year. The number of Korean literature books sold in the same period rose 36.2 percent.
"There was an exceptionally sharp rise in the sales of Korean literature publications in the first quarter compared to the same
period in previous years. Sales had seen an average increase of around 20 percent, but this year's sales have greatly surpassed that", Jin Young-kyun, a manager at the bookstore, said.
Yes 24, the online bookstore, has also seen first quarter of sales soar by 37.4 percent, a drastic growth rate from 14 percent in 2007 and last year's 3 percent.
A...
MoreWith the new year less than a week away, the drama market merits a moment of reflection. The year 2008 proved to be a trying time for Korean dramas.
Pummeled by an economic crisis and competition from hit American and Japanese series, the domestic market cut down on the number of miniseries it aired in November. Yet despite cutbacks, a few stellar pieces stood out this year that, along with a dramatic increase in theme-driven dramas, softened the blow.
Here is a recap of the highs and lows of 2008, along with a glimpse into 2009.
Drama Recession
Around November, KBS, MBC and SBS responded to the economic downturn by slashing their drama budget. KBS discontinued their 7:40 p.m. daily KBS 2 TV dramas, MBC their special weekend dramas and SBS their Friday premium dramas as part of their autumn program reforms.
Various factors contributed to the reduction, including an increase in wages for celebrities and screenwriters, which upped production costs, along with a decrease in advertising.
All three major broadcasting networks are also tightening their 2009 drama budgets and looking for ways to bring down production costs. This includes employing rookie actors and cutting back on overseas filming.
Production companies were also hit hard by the crisis, posting deficits for 2008. JS Pictures, the production company behind SBS' popular series
"Gourmet", was in the red, according to a representative of the company.
"Actors' wages may have been one of the causes for the deficit", a JS Pictures representative explained. "There are a lot of plans for dramas right now, but everyone is hesitant to start production. Everyone is in a bit of a slump".
Chorokbaem Media, the production company behind SBS' hit drama ...
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