Gourmet (Drama - 2008)

Rekindling Korean Wave

2009/06/24 | Permalink |

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

It's a dilemma Korea has encountered many times before: plenty of tourists ― indeed, numbers are rising ― but a dearth of attractions with which to occupy them.

In the past year, visitor numbers have increased, largely on the back of a weak won.

But with exchange rates turning unfavorable to foreign visitors, the growth is beginning to slow. So authorities are faced with the same old problems: Put simply, the nation lacks things for foreign tourists to see and do.

The tourism industry has been aware of the shortcomings for some time and has made efforts to develop new attractions and programs.

Now another pair of developments are about to come to fruition. At the end of the month a premium Korean restaurant called Unamjeong, which has been revived from a famous comic, and an exhibition hall named "Star Avenue", which will help re-ignite Hallyu, or the Korean Cultural Wave.


Unamjeong

Korean food is growing more popular among...| More

Promoting Korean Cuisine in China via Hit TV Drama

Source | 2009/06/22 | Permalink |

"Put condiments between the cabbage leaves evenly. Now, let's try each kimchi to select a winner".

A promotional event for the Korean TV drama "Gourmet", was held Saturday at a mansion in downtown Guangzhou in China's Guangdong province. Some 200 people there gave a hearty cheer when two of the drama's actors Kwon O-joong and Won Ki-joon appeared as judges.

Hong Kong Star TV hosted the event under the auspices of the Korea Tourism Organization in the run-up to the drama's airing in China. "Gourmet" is the TV adaptation of a comic strip by Heo Yeong-man carried in The Dong-A Ilbo.

The event featured programs promoting Korean cuisine including a kimchi-making contest, a lecture on "bibimbap (spicy mixed rice with vegetables)", and a Korean food eating contest.

Similar events were also held in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan before the airing of the drama in those three regions, but the one in Guangzhou was the first to feature Korean food.

As part of the Korea Tourism Organiza...| More

Choi Song-hyeon Drops Clean-Cut TV Image in Debut Movie

Source | 2009/05/02 | Permalink |

Choi Song-hyeon transforms herself from the elegant and clean-cut professional Koreans know from TV into a sexy smoker with long wavy hair and a leather jacket in her big-screen acting debut in "Insadong Scandal".

Although she has a minor part, Choi says she is happy her dream to be an actress came true. In the film, she shows a dramatically different side of herself. "It was very difficult to distinguish the life in the movie from reality", she admits.

After working as a presenter at KBS for two years, she surprised everyone when she quit the coveted job to become an actress. She made her debut in SBS drama "Gourmet" last year.

"Insadong Scandal" revolves around the restoration of a Chosun-era masterpiece and stars Kim Rae-won and Uhm Jung-hwa. Choi's character plots a scam with an art restoration expert played by Kim.
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[YEAR-END REVIEW (5) DRAMA] Drama market gets globalized, theme-driven

Source | 2008/12/25 | Permalink |

With 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...| More

Actor Donates Shoes to African children

Source | 2008/12/18 | Permalink |

Actor Kwon O-joong is taking part in a charity campaign to send shoes to children in Africa. Kwon has starred in many TV dramas and sitcoms, such as "Soonpoong Clinic" and "Gourmet". He has also served as honorary ambassador for the Korea Association for Rare Disease for the past seven years.

The philanthropic actor has recently invested in an orthopedic shoe business after seeing how people with illnesses or disabilities couldn't find comfortable shoes. He thought the shoe drive was worth taking interest in, because lots of children and refugees in Africa go without shoes. Part of the profit from his orthopedic shoe venture goes toward sending shoes for African refugees. He has also been commissions to serve as honorary representative of the Community Chest of Korea, a nationwide charity organization. ...| More