
Big Bang member Dae-sung [Asia Economic Daily]
Dae-sung, member of popular boy band Big Bang, will replace T.O.P., the rapper of the same group, to star in a new TV series by famed writer Song Ji-na.
"Dae-sung will take off his acting career starting by making an appearance in 'Zero Plus'", an official at the group's agency YG Entertainment told Asia Economic Daily over the phone on Monday.
T.O.P., whose real name is Choi Seung-hyeon, had originally been tapped to play the main character but decided to withdraw from the drama due to a conflict of schedule. He had made his acting debut in 2007 drama "I Am Sam" and last appeared in hit blockbuster drama "IRIS" alongside Lee Byeong-Heon and Kim Tae-hee....More
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The Seoul International Drama Awards 2009 wrapped up its 10-day run with a grand award ceremony, the biggest in its four-year history, at Olympic Hall, Olympic Park last week.
The annual event started Sept. 4 at various venues around the city with 169 dramas from 37 countries competing. The final ceremony saw numerous stars, producers and writers attending, a big leap from the rather localized ceremonies of previous years.
The ceremony was broadcast on KBS, and the event venue was filled with fans that came to see some of their favorite local and foreign stars.
The Grand Prize went to "Memoirs in China", a period drama about two families surviving turbulent times during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Republican China (1911-1949) and finally the People's Republic of China.
"Our drama is about the ups and downs of a family that survived a century in China. The courage and freedom the family showed in this drama is what we need to survive in our world and also to continue history. I thank you for sympathizing and also for this award", Zhang Li, the director, said.
The Jury's Special Prizes went to Taiwan's "Taipei 24H" and China's ...
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The KBS2 drama "
The Slingshot" has drawn much attention by touching on serious social issues once again -- this time new town construction and public work projects.
Chae Do-woo (
Kim Kang-woo) faced opposition in pursuing his plan to build a luxury town. The ideal mayor of the city concerned, who truly wants to serve people rather than pursue power, told Chae, "Article 10 of the constitution stipulates that all people are entitled to human dignity and the right to pursue happiness, and Article 7 states that government workers are obliged to serve the entire public and be responsible for their well being. Could you please help me to live up to th...
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By
Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Hallyu stars
Park Yong-ha and
kwon Sang-woo are moving into the television spotlight where, until recently, pretty boys, shiny sports cars ("
Boys over Flowers") and even a historic hero ("Moon River - Iljimae Returns") dominated.
The leading men of new dramas "
The Slingshot" (KBS) and "
Cinderella Man" (MBC), respectively, are expected to heat up the already star-studded drama casts, which include
So Ji-sub,
Kim Nam-joo and
Jeong Ryeo-won.
Written by
Song Ji-na as the final piece of her trilogy ― the first two being "Eye of Dawn" (1991) and "
Sandglass" (1997) ― "
The Slingshot" is expected to capture the reality of today's money-driven world.
"We focused on the world of men and women who are willing to sacrifice their lives for money, a wor...
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