Oh Kwang-rok (오광록)

Actress Under Fire for Backing Marijuana

Source | 2009/06/22 | Permalink |

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Actress Kim Boo-seon's calls on national TV for marijuana use to be legalized are causing a public uproar.

In a pre-recorded interview on MBC's live morning show on Friday, the 46-year-old, who has advocated the legalization of the drug, said, "Marijuana is not a narcotic; it is technically an Oriental herbal medicine which Koreans have used for 5,000 years".

Kim, who has been arrested for marijuana use several times, launched a campaign for the drug's legalization in 2004 after being sentenced to a suspended jail term. She then filed a petition with the Constitutional Court for a review of the constitutionality of the country's marijuana-related laws.

In MBC interview, she took the opportunity to protest the recent arrest of actor Oh Kwang-rok on charges of marijuana use, saying his actions caused no harm and that the drug did not affect his ability to act.

"Have you ever heard of any news that I committed a crime after smoking marijuana? I h...| More

Actor Oh Arrested for Smoking Marijuana

Source | 2009/06/12 | Permalink |

By Bae Ji-sook

Staff Reporter



Popular actor Oh Kwang-rok, most famous for his role in "Taewangsasingi" ("The Legend")' as a wise man, was arrested Thursday for smoking marijuana, police said Friday. 

According to Namdaemun Police Station, Oh is suspected of having smoked marijuana on several occasions, including once in February at his house in Seoul. He allegedly smoked with the head of an unidentified information-technology company, known as Park, investigators said. 

Police said Park bought the drug from a local dealer and shared it with eight others, including animation film director Kim Moon-saeng. 

Oh has appeared in numerous films including "Seven Days" and "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance"....| More

'Marine' Stays Afloat With Supporting Acts

Source | 2009/01/22 | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

It's about time the Korean Peninsula saw a maritime action flick. "Marine Boy" indeed features the most water treading sequences in South Korean cinema ― something only a fearless newcomer like Yoon Jong-seok can brave ― but it keeps afloat with classic premises like dramatic tension and great supporting characters.

An ocean-crossing drug mule the movie has named "marine boy" calls for extensive oceanic shoots that make up about 20 percent of the film, yet this is no big budget version of drug mule stories like "Maria Full of Grace" nor is it a raw crime thriller like "The Chaser". A complex "trust no one" formula fuels the seaside story, but the main dramatic tension lies in an obscure love triangle rather than underwater skirmishes. While the two-hour running time could have been cut shorter, Cho Jae-hyun and other bona fide actors keep the film from completely conforming to Hollywood.

The vast ocean blue invites viewers to plunge ...| More

'Seven Days': Fast and Furious

Source | 2008/10/01 | Permalink |

A slick, Hollywood-style thriller will satisfy Kim Yoon-jin fans

Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

A hotshot defense lawyer Yu Ji-yeon (Kim Yoon-jin, TV's "Lost") learns to her horror that someone has kidnapped her daughter. Instead of a ransom, the kidnapper demands that Ji-yeon defend a vicious rapist-murderer to an acquittal at an upcoming trial. She has only seven days to locate her daughter, or, conversely, prove that the prosecuted murderer is innocent.

The only help around is her thuggish cop friend (Park Hee-soon, "Boss X File", "Antarctic Journal"), while a corrupt prosecuting attorney (Jeong Dong-hwan) and the victim's headstrong mother (Kim Mi-sook, "Marathon") stand in her way.

"Seven Days" turned out to be the biggest box office draw in the fourth quarter of 2007 in Korea, enthusiastically embraced by the moviegoers, even though critical reaction was more ambivalent. The film's MTV-on-speed editing style and narrative rhythm received some criticism, but I don't feel like...| More

Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon attended the 'The Legend Premium Event'

Source | 2008/06/02 | Permalink |

Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon attended the "'The Legend' Premium Event" held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka on the first of June at 2 in the afternoon, and met 40 thousand fans in three years.

The recent event was a promotion event for the MBC drama 'The Legend' which will be aired in NHK, and actors such as Bae Yong-joon as well as Moon So-ri, Lee Ji-ah, Oh Kwang-rok, Lee Philip and producers such as director Kim Jong-hak participated in the event and talked about the behind stories of the drama. Bae Yongjoon went up on stage with other actors who were dressed in clothes of their roles in the drama.

This day, fans who gathered around the Osaka dome since 8 in the morning formed an endless queue. There were also approximately 100 Japanese reporters, proving the popularity of the drama.

After the event, Bae Yong-joon is planning to go to Tokyo and participate in the official press conference of 'The Legend' held by NHK and film for a special episode of the drama.

*attend : 출...| More