Sin Ha-gyoon (신하균)

Kim Mi-Sook

Kim Mi-Sook [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

"You lived in the same neighborhood as me? So was that why you became interested in me? (laugh)" I lived in the same neighborhood as Kim Mi-Sook when I was young and thanks to that, my mother would often tell me anecdotes about the 'high schooler Kim Mi-Sook' when she pops up on TV. From that point on, Kim became my first 'goddess' and my heart raced during my interview with her, much faster than it had with any other younger actress I had interviewed. And then there is her elegant voice and calm hand gestures. I knew my parents did not like it but I was right to stay up late nights when I was 10 years old to watch her dramas.

 

Kim Beom

Kim Beom [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

The Kim Beom I met in "High Kick!" three years ago was a high school student with a strong spirit. Different from his young looks, he said "I don't show that I'm sick, even if I am because it makes me feel like I'm losing". The Kim we met later -- who had appeared in TV series "East of Eden", "Boys over Flowers" and then achieved his long-lived dream by starring in SBS TV series "Dream - Drama" -- no longer spoke of winning or losing but it was proof of how much at ease he was at. "It may seem like I make up my mind quickly in choosing which role to play next but I do think and worry about it a lot....More

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

The tiger may well be Korea's most beloved animal throughout its history. The country was once dubbed the "nation of tigers" as it has mountainous areas that provided them with a good habitat.

The animal has been a symbol of bravery, strength and dignity, and hence 2010, the Year of the Tiger, according to Chinese astrology, will be fervently hailed as a year of good fortune and vigor.

Tiger as Time, Space and Zodiac Sign

The tiger is the third sign in the Chinese zodiac of 12 animals. It is also represented by the month "inwol", the first month of the year; and the hour "insi", the 3rd in the 24 hour clock ― 03:00-5:00 a.m. in the lunar calendar. It also points to the bearing east-northeast. The white tiger is one of the four guardian gods ― three others are the blue dragon, the red bird and the black tortoise. They protect the four major directions with the tiger taking care of the west.

From Myth to Everyday Life

People's perception of tigers has changed over time ― in the past, they feared becoming prey to them, but nowadays they probably only see tigers in a zoo.

But the process of that change is interlaced with mysticism. The tiger, a vicious and ferocious beast, is also considered a mystical creature that keeps away evil spirits.

"In ancient times, the tiger was deemed a scary animal, but our ancestors weren't consumed by that fear. What is rather mystifying is that people also saw it as a guardian that drove away evil spirits, keeping peace and well-being in the village", Gu Mun-hoe, curator of the National Folk Museum of Korea, said.

Gu said that in their daily lives, warding off evil spirits was one of the major duties of the tiger. "It means the animal keeps a...More

The Suyeong Bay area in Busan was packed on the evening of October 8, when the opening ceremony of the 14th Pusan International Film Festival was held. All 5,000 seats of the venue were filled. The less fortunate ones among the movie fans had to stay outside.

Red Carpet Gowns

Gowns with low-cut backs were the leading trend at this year's red carpet ceremony. Despite the chilly fall weather, many actresses appeared in surprisingly low-cut gowns.

Han Hye-jin's gray dress with a low-cut back evoked loud cheers from the fans.

Han Ye-seul's white gown made many fans shout out, "You look so beautiful".

Kim So-yeon showed up in red, while Han Eun-jeong chose white. Jeon Do-yeon, who made a public appearance for the first time since giving birth to her baby, was wearing an airy gown with a slightly see-through front.

Jeon Hye-bin, Choi Kang-hee,...More

Park Chan-wook's latest is a masterpiece of spiritual horror
Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)

Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a tormented priest, volunteers as a human guinea pig at an African research facility, working on a vaccine for a virulent virus called EV (which only infects celibate or sexually inactive men). The virus kills him, but he is miraculously resurrected by a blood transfusion. Unfortunately, the miracle comes with a serious side effect: he turns into a vampire. Only a continuous supply of fresh human blood can reverse the symptoms of EV infection. While grappling with his disturbing new habit (and superpowers), Sang-hyun becomes attracted to Tae-ju (Kim Ok-bin), unhappily married to his childhood friend Kang-woo (Sin Ha-gyoon), a bizarrely infantile hypochondriac living under the thumb of his manic dressmaker mother Ms. Ra (Kim Hae-soo).

"Thirst" which opens stateside on July 31, following a solid distribution deal with Universal Pictures, has so far been the most controversial Korean film of 2009. Many critics and viewers have blasted it as a pretentious bore or a poorly conceived adaptation of Emile Zola's "Therese Raquin" (from which this film borrows certain plot points and a central love triangle): only a few critics hailed the film as a masterpiece. I happen t...More

The new Hollywood film that Lee Byeong-Heon is casted, "G.I. Joe" had its VIP press release.

Many stars come together to support Lee's Hollywood debut film.

Stars like Choi Ji-woo, Jeong Joon-ho, Sin Ha-gyoon, Lee Eun-hee, and Kim Rae-won came to see the film!...More