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| Choo Ja-hyun and her actor husband Yu Xiao-gung appear in a scene that captures the everyday aspects of life in Beijing. / Courtesy of SBS |
By Kim Ji-soo
A variety of reality entertainment shows here are currently helping several stars enhance their star power even after marriage, as close personal observations of their lives are aired on the small screen.
Leading among the female stars is singer/entertainer Lee Hyo-ri, who lives on Jeju Island with her musician husband Lee Sang-soon. The top female singer known for her K-pop idol activity and also for her single "10 Minutes," had not been seen on TV before she returned with her album "Black" this year after a four-year hiatus.
Partly to promote the album, she appeared on entertainment programs but she and her guitarist husband also are hosts of the show "Hyo-ri's Homestay."
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| Singer/entertainer Lee Hyo-ri and her musician husband Lee Sang-soon in their house on Jeju Island. / Courtesy of JTBC |
Featuring regular visitors to the celebrity home on the island — with top female singer IU as assistant — the program has garnered some of the highest ratings for the cable network JTBC.
Singularly noticeable is actress Choo Ja-hyun, who is highly popular in China. Choo, 38, is currently starring in season 2 of the SBS program "Same Bed, Different Dreams" with her Chinese husband Yu Xiao-gung. Viewers are attuning to the Monday late-night show to watch how this Korean-Chinese couple is enjoying their luxurious Beijing apartment.
Choo debuted in Korea in 1996 on the small screen, appearing in television dramas such as "Successful Story of Bright Girl" (2002). It was the Korean film "Bloody Tie" (2006) that won her critical fame. Then she went to work in Taiwanese and Chinese dramas and films.
But it was the Chinese remake of the Korean drama "Temptation of Wife" (the Chinese title in 2001 was "Temptation of Going Home") that sent her to mainstream stardom in mainland China.
Choo has since appeared in other programs, but in the "Same Bed, Different Dreams" one, she discloses her open communication with her husband who is two years younger than her. Also her come-from-behind success story, where Choo started out like a new actor in China even after a decade or more experience in Seoul, is another reason behind the popularity.
Choo's frankness bears a similarity to singer Lee's natural communication seen with her husband on "Hyo-ri's Homestay." Actress Kim Hee-sun, who starred in the highly popular "Woman of Dignity" and also stars in the reality show "Island Trio," along with comedian Kang Ho-dong and singer Chung Yong-wha, is garnering renewed attention for her frank and direct speaking as a married actress.
As a result, the ratings for "Same Bed" are rising. Nielsen Korea found that the Aug. 21 episode recorded at its highest 12.7 percent over two parts. The first part posted 9.1 percent and the second, 9.8 percent.
With those figures, "Same Bed" has remained on top of the Monday 11 p.m. time slot for seven weeks. "Hyo-ri's Home Stay," on Aug. 21 posted 9.9 percent nationwide ratings.
"People these days no longer are healed by stories or content that is perfectly presented," said Kwak Keum-joo, a professor of psychology at Seoul National University.
"Even with celebrity programs, they want to see or relate to celebrities living like they do, eating breakfast in plain clothes and going about their routine,"she said, adding that that's what heals them.
"People don't seem to want to experience a sense of relative depravity or always be reminded of their glaring lack (of things or qualifications)."
Kwak noted that the overflowing media routes and channels may be another reason why people are craving more earnest portrayals as well.
"The trend in entertainment has obviously shifted to reality and observation instead of one filmed on pre-made sets," said Ha Jae-keun, a pop culture critic.
"So stars or those who star in the programs are disclosing more personal aspects of their lives, and if this makes for the talk of the town, naturally they will experience a renewed popularity," he said.
The age-old recipe where stars could adhere to veiled allure for their appeal has now been replaced by the public's demand for more non-authoritarian and honest disclosure, Ha said.
"Viewers want to see actors not hide their years or personal lives," Kwak said.
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| Actress Kim Hee-sun who recently starred in highly popular "Woman of Dignity" poses in this file photo. / Courtesy of Hinge Entertainment |
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