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Miyake on stage with Korean actress

Miyake Ken, 27, a member of the hottest Japanese boy band V6, said that he wanted to do a film with Korean horror film star Kim Gyoo-ri someday.

The coveted singer and actor visited the country to attend the special screening of his new film "Vanished (Oyayubi sagashi)" at the CGV Multiplex in Apgujeong-dong, southern Seoul, on Monday. Kim, the star of such hit horror films as "Nightmare" (2000) and "Bunshinsaba" (2004), also joined the event at the request of his agency Avex Entertainment, which is one of the largest Japanese record labels.

"I'm a V6 fan", Kim told reporters after giving a bouquet of flowers to Miyake to congratulate him on his new film. "I've seen the film and was moved especially by his detailed inner acting".

The "queen of horror films" went on to say that she wanted to work with him someday, and the Japanese star instantly bought the idea. "She is so beautiful, and I'd love to do a film with her someday", he said.

His remark generated various jealous reactions among some 300 young female fans filling a screening room of the multiplex. "Are you jealous?" he said in awkward Korean, appeasing them with his trademark sweet smile. Japanese reporters from seven different media covered the event with 25 local reporters, reflecting Miyake's immense popularity in Japan. "As a V6 member, I've visited Korea a few times before, and I've found the country is always in my mind", Miyake replied, asked why he decided to do such an event in the country, although the exact opening date of the film is yet to be discussed.

Formed in 1995, V6 was a brainchild of Johnny Kitagawa, the legendary producer of such popular Japanese boy bands as SMAP, Carbone, KinKi Kids and Arashi. What makes the band so unique among Kitagawa's many other creations is that they are composed of two smaller groups: Twentieth Century and Coming Century (to which Miyake belongs).

Besides the age difference - which can be gleaned from the self-explaining team names - the former is usually associated with being on stage in plays and musicals, whereas the latter is more often in television dramas.

Leader Sakamoto Masayuki (Twentieth Century), 35, the oldest and also the tallest member of the group, is especially famous for his roles in musical dramas such as "Footloose" and "The Boy from Oz". Nagano Hiroshi, 33, and Inohara Yoshihiko, 30, two other members of Twentieth Century, also played the leading roles in the Japanese version of the hit musical "The Producers", which was selected as the No.1 musical of 2005, by a famous Japanese musical magazine.

Among the younger members, Okada Junichi, 25 is currently making waves in the Japanese film industry with successive hits of "Kizarazu Cat's Eyes Nihon Series", "Tokyo Towers" and "Fly Daddy Fly". Morita Go, 27, has shown talents in acting through such television series as "Lunch Queen No Joou" and "Perfect Bride".

Based on a Japanese novel with the same (Japanese) title, "Vanished" is about Takeshi (Miyake), a pure-hearted lad with a dark childhood memory, who, with his friends from his elementary school years, tries to find the missing thumb of a dead girl, which means both blessings and curses in the film. "The film delves into the realm of mystic horror, but also is about something we can experience anytime in our daily life", Miyake said.

The film was released in Japan on Saturday, and is scheduled to open in Korea later this year.

By Lee Yong-sung

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