Actor Bae Yong-joon [Asia Economic Daily]

Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's company Keyeast Co., Ltd. saw its profits surge three-fold last year, proving it is a strong player in the entertainment industry which has been hit hard by the economic downturn.

Keyeast, a provider of Korean cultural content of which Bae is a major stockholder, announced through a press release Friday that the firm posted profits worth 10.5 billion won in 2009, a 303.5 percent increase compared to the previous year.

An official at Keyeast explained that the reappraisal value of Digital Adventure (DA), worth about 10 billion won, accounted for a majority of the gain. DA, a Japanese digital contents distribution company, had merged with BOF Entertainment, another subsidiary of Keyeast in May....More

Korean Actress Hong Soo-hyun [BOF Entertainment]

Korean actress Hong Soo-hyun has been cast in "Komome" the second feature of the Asian omnibus film "Camellia", according to her agency BOF Entertainment.

"Komome", to be helmed by Japanese filmmaker Isao Yukisada, is about the romance between a movie director, to be played by Korean actor Sol Kyung-gu and a young girl by Japanese actress Yuriko Yoshitaka....More

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Top hallyu star Bae Yong-joon was hospitalized due to sepsis last Thursday, according to the actor's agency BOF Entertainment.

"Bae received medical treatment as his blood sugar level and blood pressure suddenly dropped. According to medical examinations, he is in the early stage of blood poisoning, and his immunity system has weakened due to stress and overwork. He is currently resting after treatment", the agency said.

BOF added that Bae has been working hard on his new book "The Beauty of Korea" (working title) and thus lost a lot of weight for the past year.

The 37-year-old actor shed more than 10 kilograms during his travels arou...More