Korean movie news

2008/05/02 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

How crazy is it to wait 730 days for a lover?
A recently released Korean DVD, "Crazy Waiting" ("The Longest 24 Months" - Gidarida michyeo) portrays the painful separation period that young Korean couples endure due to the mandatory military service imposed on men here.
For patient people, 730 days might not seem that long, but it can be an eternity for young lovers.
As one of the last divided countries in the world, Korea sends its young, healthy men in their early 20s — typically the prime of their lives — into the military. The length of the service is generally two years but varies slightly depending on the armed branch.
In this film, four couples have to go through tearful goodbyes. It's sad for the guys, but even more heartbreaking for the girls, who must send their loved ones to some countryside training camp where they don't even have a decent heater.
After the initial, emotion-ridden phase, however, the girls' worries about their boyfriends soon dissipate into a tidal wave...

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2008/05/02 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

A screening of "Crossing", a South Korean film based on true accounts of North Korean defectors, was held at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. The audience included House International Relations Committee specialists Dennis Halpin and Doug Anderson, Peter Beck, executive director of the U.S Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, Kim Sung-min, a former North Korean refugee and head of Free North Korea Radio, and 100 foreign journalists.

The film is about a North Korean father who crosses the border to China in search of food, leaving his ailing wife and 11-year-old son behind. After reaching South Korea, he desperately tries to bring his family out of North Korea, but his wife dies from malnutrition and his young son perishes in the Mongolian desert.

Several audience members reportedly broke in tears at the sad plight of this desperate North Korean father and the horrendous state of human rights violation in the North. Dennis Halpin called it a "masterpiece" that show...

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i really look forward to seeing this drama especially if Cha In Pyo is the lead actor! blanca 2008-05-13 11:27:06

2008/05/02 | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

"Rain"'s entertainment agency J. Tune Entertainment (CEO Cho Dong-won) is preparing to launch a cellular content service for Japanese fans.

On April 28th, a J. Tune representative announced that they have signed a contract with ACCEL Corporation, a Japanese company dealing in wireless services and that they are ready to provide "top quality content that will fulfill the needs of fans in Japan".

ACCEL will receive entertainment content from J. Tune and release it in early June to Japan's three major cellular service providers - NTT Docomo, KDDI, and Softbank.

"We plan on sharing footage of "Rain"'s performances and his daily life through the content service which can be viewed in Japan anytime, anywhere", a J. Tune representative said. "We hope that Japanese fans will show great interest in this new service"....

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2008/05/02 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Singer IVY took a break from the spotlight after being threatened at the end of last year. The singer will return to showbiz this June with her TV drama debut in the SBS production "Tokyo, Yeowubi" (screenplay by Kim Jin-hee, directed by Lee Joon-hyeong).

"'Tokyo, Yeowubi' was shot entirely in Japan last year and it will air at 10pm on June 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 10th", announced the production company of the drama, Work Wonders.

Starring Kim Sa-rang and Kim Tae-woo, "Tokyo, Yeowubi" is a melodrama about the love that blossoms between actress 'Soo-jin' and sushi chef 'Hyun-soo' after a fateful encounter in Japan.

Also starring in the TV drama are Japanese actors Otani Ryohei, Okuda Erika and Yamamoto Gaku.

"'Tokyo, Yeowubi' was produced as a cinematic drama to be viewed in theaters", explained Work Wonders. "And besides the director, writer and producer, the entire crew is Japanese".

The director of the drama, Lee Joon-hyeong, is famous for directing music videos of singers S...

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2008/05/01 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

So Ji-sub and Kang Ji-hwan were cast as lead roles for "Movie is Movie".

So Ji-sub stars as Kang Pae, a gangster, and Kang Ji-hwan is Soo-Ta, a successful actor. Their respective roles allow them to show their charm and acting skills.

It is the story of Kang Pae, who lives each day streaked with violence, and Soo-Ta, who starts to dislike the star's life, who star in the same movie. The unique plot of a gangster and a star who both star in a gangster action movie is already drawing attention.

Director Jang Hoon said, "We were thinking of the two actors while working on the scenario. I'm looking forward to filming, for they both have passion for acting". It will start filming in mid-May....

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2008/05/01 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

In the midst of sighs that there are no more females in leading roles, Ha Ji-won will challenge this.

Ha Ji-won will start filming "Seven Remedies" in New Zealand in June and will be coming back from a one-year hiatus.

After "Miracle on 1st Street" last February, she only appeared in cameos in "Last Present" and "Sex is Zero 2". Now, she will be spending the summer with "Seven Remedies".

"Seven Remedies" is about a monster that is transformed through viruses and a female character who tries to fight it.

It's drawing more attention because there are few movies with female lead roles, and those few fail to succeed. Most movies have male leads, but this one has put a female in the lead.

A representative of the production company said, "Ha Ji-won will be showing action like Angelina Jolie in 'Tomb Raider". Her fighting scene with the monster will be the highlight". He said that she received the lead role because of confidence in her.

After the filming of "Seven Remedies",...

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2008/05/01 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Director Choi Dong-hoon of "The Big Swindle" and "The War of Flower" has a new movie "Jeon Woo-chi Story", starring Kang Dong-won, Im Soo-jeong, Kim Yoon-seok, and Yoo Hae-jin.

This movie tells the story of a Joseon Taoist Jeon Woo-chi, who comes into the present-day world and faces a ghost that confuses the world. It is based on a Joseon novel with the same name. It copies "Hong Gil-dong Story" and tells the heroism of Jeon Woo-chi, who was a real Taoist. The movie put the background in today's time and gives it a new feeling. Director Choi is in charge of the screenplay and the adaptation.

Kang Dong-won plays the young Jeon Woo-chi, who excels in Taoist magic but is more concerned with elegance and women than self-discipline. He has played serious characters in the past, but he will be showing a new image through this movie. Im Soo-jeong plays the woman Jeon Woo-chi loved in the Joseon era, and a coordinator who wants to be an actress.

Kim Yoon-seok, who played the evil, gre...

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2008/05/01 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

"Just" (temporary) will be a parody sitcom of the American series "Lost", starring actress Kim Yoon-jin.

"Just" is planned to air in mid-July after MBC sitcom "Elephant". It is about ten workers of a company who go on a trip to a distant island but drift onto a deserted island after a wreck.

It is similar to "Lost", which tells about the survivors of a plane that landed on an island in the middle of the south Pacific.

"Just", a part of the 40-part 'Summer Special Season Sitcom', will have the same producers, Green Snake Media, director Kim Yeong-gi, and writer Song Jae-jeong, as "High Kick!"

They are the midst of preparing the script, and the production company held auditions for young actors. As Lee Soon-jae received much popularity for "High Kick!" there will be some elder actors.

A representative of Green Snake Media suggested the possibility of serious actors, and said, "We can't really say anything about casting right now".

He also added, "It will fit into...

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2008/05/01 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

They will be running with the Olympic torch, which arrives in Seoul from Nagano, Japan, in the morning of the 27th. But for various reasons, the interval of their time with the torch has remained a secret.

After going around Seoul for the whole day, it will arrive in Seoul City Hall at 7 pm and will be sent to Pyeong-yang at 11 pm. There are 80 people carrying the torch, including Song Il-gook, Jang Nara, Bada, and Ko Ah-ra.
...

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2008/05/01 | Source | Permalink |  Digg |  del.icio.us | Stumble It! | Share this news

Actor Ko Soo was discharged from military on the 25th.

He has been serving in KangNam, and even received recognition for being an outstanding public interest service personnel.

That day, Ko Soo will be restarting his acting career through the play "Return of Mr. Eom".

Ko Soo, who has been interested in theater for a long time, accepted the invitation from Jo Jae-hyeon to star in this play.

The play tells the inner feelings of society, has a deep message, and gives good laughs. Eom Hyo-seob, who played Seo Kyeong-jun in KBS "In-soon is Pretty", has the lead role of 'Mr. Eom'.

"Return of Mr. Eom" will be shown from May 23 to August 3 at Seoul Wonder Space Circle Theater (Sadari Art Center).
...

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