The War Of Flower (Movie - 2006)

A festival of Korean manhwas, decorating L.A.

Source | 2009/06/16 | Permalink |

'Centenary of Korean Comics' in the US
'Comics Room of Memory', 'Screening of Manhwa-inspired Movies', and 'Writers' Workshop' await visitors
Korean manhwa, a blanket term for Korean comics and cartoons, visits LA with its imaginative power and rich visuals, commemorating the centennial of its birth.
Accordingly, the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA, President & CEO: Lee Jae-woong) hosts an exhibition 'Manhwa 100: Centenary of Korean Comics' from 18th to 2th, next month with the Korea Cultural Center Los Angeles (President: Kim Jae-won).

The opening ceremony is held on 18th 6:30 p.m. (local time). This commemorative event, which is held in the L.A. center and the Korea Center, consists of 'Panel Display of 100 Years by Chronology' which provides an overview of the history of Korean manhwa, 'Popular Cartoonists Exhibition', 'Screening of Manhwa-inspired Movies and Animations', and 'Comics Room of Memory' displaying manhwas in both Korean and English.
Above all, Hyung Min-...| More

Korean Cinematography Booms on High-quality, Lucrative Productions

Source | 2009/05/21 | Permalink |

Korean cinematography has been thriving recently as more movies continue to draw scores of viewers to theaters, bringing in impressive revenues and receiving positive feedback both from domestic and foreign critics. As more viewers these days are attaching more importance to the uniqueness of movies rather than their scale, Korean movies are expected to continue to enjoy popularity for the time being. But some have voiced concerns that their success could be short-lived because many Hollywood blockbusters are set to open later this year.

The Korean film market remained stagnant in the first three months of the year despite the success of "Speedy Scandal" and "Old Partner", which opened this past December and January, respectively. The number of viewers during that period plummeted 19 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the Korean Film Council. Viewers began paying attention to domestic movies again around mid-April, when several hits including "Thirst" opened.

D...| More

Movie Stars Booked for Drug Smuggling, Use

Source | 2009/04/26 | Permalink |

By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter

Two actors and an actress, including renowned movie icon Joo Ji-hoon, 27, were booked for smuggling and taking illegal drugs Sunday.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency drug squad also requested arrest warrants for actress Yoon Seol-hee, 28, and model-turned-actor Ye Hak-yeong, 26, who smuggled drugs from Japan. Ju admitted to taking narcotics on a couple of occasions around March, police said.

Joo and another two people were booked without physical detention for taking the drugs. Debuting in the hit 2006 drama "Princess Hours", Joo recently starred in the movies "Antique" and "The Naked Kitchen".

They are accused of having smuggled some 280 ecstasy tablets and 280 grams of ketamine on 14 occasions from August 2007, funded by 100 million won ($75,000) from Ye and others. Yoon allegedly bought the narcotics from an acquaintance in Japan and smuggled them into the company in her undergarments..

Ye gave 3.2 million won to Yoon to purchase th...| More

'Insadong' Can Go That Extra Mile

Source | 2009/04/16 | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

When it comes to replicas, modern Koreans may be familiar with fake Louis Vuitton handbags; the immaculate craftsmanship baffles even experts. But not many people realize that "Mongyu Dowondo" (Paradise in a Dream, 1447), displayed at the National Museum of Korea, is a mock-up. The original landmark painting of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) remains in Japan.

For "Insadong Scandal", first-time director Park Hee-gon may have been inspired by that tantalizing fact, which inevitably points to sensitive Korea-Japan relations, but he opts for something purely entertainment-driven rather than stoop to sappy "nationalism marketing" to tell the story of lost art and misdirected ambitions. Like George Clooney and others in the "Ocean's" franchise, popular actor Kim Rae-won ("Sunflower") and a host of colorful characters bring a stylish and speedy crime story set against the exotic art hub of Seoul, Insa-dong.

It all came from a dream. Angyeon immortalize...| More

Actress Kim Hye-soo Unveils Painting

Source | 2009/04/15 | Permalink |

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Actress Kim Hye-soo made her debut as a painter at the ongoing Seoul Open Art Fair (SOAF 2009) at COEX, southern Seoul, Tuesday.

Kim is well known for her sexy, stylish image in movies like "The War of Flower", and "Modern Boy", but, unknown to many, she is also an budding painter. She was one of several celebrities who were invited to present their paintings at the art fair.

To generate more public interest in the event, SOAF organizers introduced the "Star Art Project". Other famous celebrities who are showing their works are singer Cho Young-nam, actress Shim Eun-ha and actor Kang Seok-woo.

Kim presented delicately colored paintings, while Shim's Oriental paintings have attracted attention for their exquisite detail.

The SOAF 2009 opened to the public on Wednesday and runs through Sunday. Over 5,500 art pieces by 1,200 artists from 70 galleries are being shown at the art fair. Admission is 7,000 won for adults and 5,000 for stud...| More