Ryoo Seung-yong (류승룡)

Film is another guise for the multitalented 'Korean Madonna'

Korea's entertainment industry experts love to nickname local stars after Hollywood celebrities. It's a surefire way to attract the public's attention. A young teen in an idol group who can dance and sing might be called "the Korean Justin Timberlake" or a skillful child actor who can burst into tears on demand is dubbed "Korea's Dakota Fanning", even though Fanning is all grown up now.

These would-be stars often fail to live up to their namesakes. But Uhm Jung-hwa - known as the "Korean Madonna" - may be the exception. Uhm is unafraid of transforming herself for a screen role - her characters have included a devoted wife, a lesbian, a single woman who wants to have a baby - while on stage, she sings disco with her hair in a bob, wearing skin-tight leather tops and shorts at the age of 41. She also loves to stir up controversy: Uhm was the first local singer to appear in public in her underwear.

A favorite of the public and paparazzi alike, Uhm has been an A-list screen darling for almost two decades, and she has 10 albums under her belt - every one producing at least one hit. No other Korean star has juggled acting and singing careers as successfully, or for as long, as Uhm has.

This spring, Uhm plays the role of a hysterical author involved in a plagiarism scandal in her new film "Bestseller", to be released next month.

In order to play the role, Uhm, who calls herself a gourmet, went on a diet and shed about seven kilograms (15 pounds).

"I'm not the type of person who easily slims down, but I had to do so to add reality to this nervous and hysterical character, because people who often get stressed out or sensitive are usually thin. So I walked ...More

Actress Uhm Jung-hwa almost got her rib broken because of Ryoo Seung-yong.

The two stars are in the mystery thriller "Bestseller" that brought this incident while filming.

The two have worked together where the scene brings much emotions and thrill.

There are very sensitive and delicate expressions that must be portrayed. In the 10 degree Celcius cold weather, the filming took place outside near a sewage whe...More

Singer and movie star, Uhm Jung-hwa ha has lost 7 kg for her upcoming movie!

This movie will be titled, "Bestseller" which is based on the story of the bestseller writer and the copyright for the first time in Korea. This hysterical bestseller writer Baek Hee-soo role will be taken by Uhm Jung-hwa.

The writer is known to chain smoke when she is working and when writing is not going well, she would toss the computer on the floor. And she even pressures her daughter Yeon-hee acted...More

"Secret - 2009", a Korean thriller that will be released next week, is already drawing attention for the fact that it was written and directed by Yoon Jae-goo, who wrote the script for the 2007 movie "Seven Days".

The film is the screenwriter's directorial debut, and the second in what is to be a four-part series revolving around the theme of "...ing". "Seven Days", the first film in the series, received good reviews from critics and audiences and drew over 2 million viewers nationwide.

"Seven Days, which tells the story of a mother who saves her child from kidnapping, was the first in a four-part series under the theme of "...ing" that I've had on...More

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

There's no such thing as a secret, especially a big bad one, that's bound to come out in the end and slap you in the face. Mix in some Agatha Christie-style suspense, and you get an unconventional whodunit film where the detective is trying to cover-up clues rather than find them.

Yoon Jae-goo, who penned the script for Won Sin-yeon's 2007 hit thriller "Seven Days" starring "Lost" actress Kim Yoon-jin, grabbed the megaphone this time for his second thriller "Secret - 2009".

The writer-director humbly said he would be happy if "Secret - 2009" does as well as "Seven Days", which was sold to American buyers for a record price at the time among local thrillers. And he's right.

The new film also offers he...More