Winter Sonata (Drama - 2002)

Korean Wave Aims at New Horizons

Source | 2009/10/22 | 0 comments | Permalink |

When Lee Eun-hye, 24, a college student went on a trip to South America she certainly didn't expect this. Every time she introduced herself as a Korean, the locals would greet her eagerly, mentioning the Korean drama "Dae Jang Geum" (English title "Jewel in the Palace") and the lead actress Lee Young-ae. The same thing happened in Japan and China. People there would list the names of Korean celebrities like Bae Yong-joon and ask her about the latest news in Korean entertainment.

She also met people who were studying Korean during her stay in Paraguay. When asked what motivated them to study the language, some told her the Korean dramas they watch made them feel close to Korean culture. Others found Hangeul (Korean characters) cool.

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, has so far done more than enough to upgrade Korea's image, with television drama content leading the way. One of Korea's best hit dramas was "Winter Sonata" (2003). It starred Bae Yong-joon and its popularity in Japan became...| More

Actor Bae Yong-joon to Have Medical Check

Source | 2009/10/05 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Top hallyu star Bae Yong-joon cut short his stay in Japan and returned home earlier than scheduled due to a sudden deterioration in his health, his agency BOF said.

Bae came home Friday, cancelling some events to meet with his fans. He was originally scheduled to stay there until Sunday.

His agency said the actor seemed to have overworked during his stay in Japan to promote his book "A Journey in Search of Korean Beauty" and the animated version of the mega-hit TV drama "Winter Sonata" he starred in.

Bae, diagnosed with a drop in his blood sugar level and blood pressure, was advised to relax for a while by doctors after his return. He has shown improvement after resting the past days, his agency said, adding he will undergo a medical checkup soon to see whether he needs to be hospitalized.

The 37-year-old actor shed more than 10 kilograms during his travels around the country for the compilation of essays on Korean culture and travel.

Bae fainted on Sept. 17 due to the s...| More

Bae Yong-joon's Travel Essay Becomes a Bestseller

Source | 2009/10/01 | 0 comments | Permalink |

A travel book written by Actor Bae Yong-joon of the "Winter Sonata" fame has gone into its tenth printing in just seven days since it was first marketed. Titled "A Journey to Find the Beauty of Korea", the travel essay topped the travel book bestseller category in major bookstores. Also the first batch of its Japanese version has all been sold out in Japan and another shipment has been ordered.

The popularity of the book is attributed to not only the banking power of Bae, but also the detailed descriptions and sincerity of his writing. He reportedly traveled all over the country himself to find beautiful traditions and sights of Korea. Bae said that he was motivated to write this travel book when he was asked in a Japanese press conference to introduce a beautiful place in Korea and couldn't name even one location.

The book's publisher says that the book features very high quality printing...| More

Undying Popularity for Yonsama

Source | 2009/10/01 | 0 comments | Permalink |

By Cho Jae-hyon
Staff Reporter

Actor Bae Yong-joon, known as "Yonsama" among Japanese fans, proved that he still has the power to keep the popularity of Korean pop culture alive. He was the star who helped trigger the Korean wave or "hallyu". He also showcased a possibility that hallyu can be broadened to the realm of tourism and food.

In an event to promote his latest book on Korean culture and travelling, "A Journey in Search of Korean Beauty", Yon-sama drew 45,000 fans to the Tokyo Dome Wednesday. Among them was Miyuki Hatoyama, wife of Japan's new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.

Miyuki, known as an enthusiastic fan of Bae, met him for about 10 minutes before the event and talked about Korean culture, according to his promoting agency.

On the stage, Bae read part of his book to the audience and explained how he came to write it.

"While I toured around the various parts of Korea for months, its beautiful scenery, which I had been unaware of before, dawned on me and cre...| More

Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-woo Visit Japan

Source | 2009/09/30 | 0 comments | Permalink |

Korean Wave star Bae Yong-joon has visited Japan, where he was welcomed by some 2000 fans. His visit comes more than a year after his last visit to the country.

Bae left for Japan on September 27 on a special Korean Air jet, which was rented for him. The actor arrived at Narita Airport at 3:20 p.m. He and actress Choi Ji-woo will attend a promotional event for the animation version of "Winter Sonata" at the Tokyo Dome.

Bae previously visited Japan in June last year to promote the epic drama "Legend". It is his first visit to Japan alongside actress Choi Ji-woo, who played opposite him in the TV drama "Winter Sonata".

Korean Air offered a special jet for the two stars. Some 2000 fans greeted Bae and Choi at Narita Airport. Bae's fans kept asking him about his health, as the actor was recently diagnosed with septicemia. Bae responded with a smile and waved his hand. Walking among the crowd of fans, he said briefly that he was fine. Bae's agency, BOF, said the two actors didn't p...| More