The Korea Times

Sandra Oh's Globe win echoes change in Hollywood

Sandra Oh accepting the award for best actress in a drama series for her role in "Killing Eve" during the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday. AP-YonhapBy Park Jin-haiKorean-Canadian actress Sandra Oh, best known for her role Christina Yang in ABC drama series “Grey's Anatomy,” shone on the night of the 2019 Golden Globes, Sunday. Her success provided a thrilling moment for people of Asian descent, especially native Korean audiences. Oh became the first Asian performer to win the Best Actress in a drama series for her lead role in “Killing Eve.” Including her previous win as Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes in 2006 with “Grey's Anatomy,” she became the first Asian to win multiple Golden Globes.In her emotional acceptance speech, Oh thanked her parents, Korean immigrants to Canada, who were in the crowd. “I'm so grateful to my family. I'd like to thank my mother and my father,” the 48-year-old actress said, followed by saying “Mom, Dad, I love you,” in Korea

Jan 8, 2019By Park Jin-hai

Sandra Oh's Globe win echoes change in Hollywood

Shows & Dramas

tvN begins 2019 with period drama 'The Crowned Clown'

Actors Yeo Jin-goo, left, and Lee Se-young, pose during a press conference for tvN's new period drama “The Crowned Clown” at Imperial Palace Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of CJ ENM By Park Jin-hai Popular cable network, tvN, ran hit period dramas “Mr. Sunshine” and “100 Days My Prince” last year, so viewers were pleased when the network unveiled its drama lineups this year with its newest period drama “The Crowned Clown.”The much-anticipated drama, starring Yeo Jin-goo and Lee Se-young, is an adaptation of the popular 2012 film “Masquerade” which attracted over 12 million moviegoers. Set in the middle of the 1392-1910 Joseon era, when upheaval and power struggles surrounding the throne reached a high, the drama, premiered on Monday, tells the story of Yi Heon, played by Yeo, the king who brings a clown that looks identical to him and puts him on the throne to escape an assassination plot. The 21-year-old Yeo plays the double role of the King Yi Heon and the clown Ha-

Jan 7, 2019By Park Jin-hai

tvN begins 2019 with period drama 'The Crowned Clown'

Books

Notorious drama writer returns with health book

By Park Jin-haiCancer Cells Are Part of Life by Im Sung-hanIm sung-han, 58, a retired drama writer infamous for her extremely nonsensical plots and controversial lines, returned with a book.The theme of the book goes in line with one of her most famous lines in a 2013 drama, which reads “Cancer cells are part of life. So if I try to kill them, I am afraid they would feel that.” The line was delivered by a character declining to receive chemotherapy. Her book came as a surprise to many because it's not about her writing career or knowhow but about health and wellness. The simply designed book in a sky blue cover, which is the writer's own idea to highlight simplicity, bears the bold title “Cancer Cells Are Part of Life,” in reference to the line that gave her the reputation as one of the worst K-drama writers. The 322-page book covers a wide range of 20 health issues that Im has suffered from her entire life, including weight loss, hair loss, high blood pressure, insomnia and cancer. “Good health has been the biggest topic throughout my entire l

Jan 4, 2019By Park Jin-hai

Notorious drama writer returns with health book

Arts & Theater

Elderly women have 'second youth' as puppet performers

Members of amateur puppet performance group Second Youth Troupe, whose average age is 80, pose for a photo. Provided by Dangjin CityBy Park Jin-haiDANGJIN, South Chungcheong ― The Second Youth Troupe is a rare puppet troupe, comprised of eight mostly widowed elderly women with an average age of 80. The ragtag troupe, led by Moon Young-mi, head of local children's educational theater company Naesoong, was formed last January in the small mid-western rural town of Sanseong-ri, South Chungcheong Province, by the voluntary participation of women aged between 72 and 85, who have harbored curiosity of what Moon was up to with the kids. “After learning I am teaching acting to little kids, the whole village has shown a keen interest in my job. Starting with the old woman next door, many others said they too want to try it and I thought why not?” said Moon, who returned to her home town Dangjin 10 years ago, leaving behind her hectic city life. “All the more, I was thinking it might be great to make an all-senior puppetry group, who would tour elementary schools and tell old

Jan 2, 2019By Park Jin-hai

Elderly women have 'second youth' as puppet performers

Shows & Dramas

Top 10 entertainment headlines in 2018

#MeToo, scandals hit hard; YouTube, Netflix change media landscape By Park Jin-haiThe media industry in 2018 has been plagued by many unfortunate events. The year started out with the #MeToo movement that engulfed many stars including sexual misconduct scandal-hit veteran actor Jo Min-ki who eventually ended his own life before a police investigation. It ended with a growing number of celebrities embroiled in their parents' debt allegations. Following rapper Microdot, who reversed his initial denial, many stars have been blamed in debt scandals involving their parents. It was also the year that the line dividing traditional TV and streaming media has become more blurry, with many celebrities opening YouTube channels and YouTube stars appearing on TV. The local drama world had seen many genre dramas but only a couple of dramas from cable channels stood out. The reality TV and cooking show trends continued this year. Many TV shows including “Mr. Sunshine” and “Memories of the Alhambra” reached more drama fans around the world on Netflix, which keeps expanding it

Dec 27, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Films

Foreign actors take bigger roles in Korean cinema

Vincent Cassel seen in the film “Default.” Courtesy of CJ EntertainmentBy Park Jin-haiIn the past, it was uncommon to see foreign actors starring in Korean films. Even if they made it, their roles were relatively small and more to create a buzz than to carry the plot.But things have changed a lot in recent years. Starting with Hollywood star Liam Neeson cast in the 2016 “Operation Chromite” as General Douglas MacArthur, German actor Thomas Kretschmann co-starred in "A Taxi Driver" last year as a German journalist reporting on the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement. This month, the big three Korean blockbusters released or waiting for premiere feature foreign actors in major roles. In the film “Default,” which is currently ranked second at the weekend box office, French actor Vincent Cassel, known for “Black Swan” (2010) and “Jason Bourne” (2016), plays a cold managing director of the International Monetary Fund who pressures the Korean government to give in and submit to an IMF-led bailout program in 1997. In “Swing

Dec 19, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Foreign actors take bigger roles in Korean cinema

Films

INTERVIEW Song Kang-ho's 'hallucinating' acting stands out in 'Drug King'

Actor Song Kang-ho poses prior to an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, Monday. /Courtesy of Show BoxBy Park Jin-haiAward-winning actor Song Kang-ho, who has been acclaimed for his subtle portrayal of ordinary citizens in various films, has bagged the strongest character ever in his career _ a lesser-known Korean drug king.In his latest crime drama “The Drug King,” directed by Woo Min-ho of crime action “Inside Men” (2015), Korea's top grossing R-rated movie of all-time, Song portrays Lee Doo-sam, an ordinary small-time narcotics dealer who becomes an infamous drug lord in Korea during the 1970s.The R-rated film is based on the real life story of a drug smuggler named Lee Hwang-soon who built his empire in Busan's crime underworld in the '70s. Although drugs are prevalent in many Hollywood films, it is rare for Korean movies to center on the country's drug cartels. “Although local audiences might find themselves unfamiliar with the story material, it will leave a strong impression on viewers,” said the 51-year-old actor during an in

Dec 18, 2018By Park Jin-hai

[INTERVIEW] Song Kang-ho's 'hallucinating' acting stands out in 'Drug King'

Others

INTERVIEW Korean-American pastor recalls pie-baking mother

Trudy Kim, mother of Pastor John Kim, who created the photo essay “Pie-Making Mom” cooks pies and cookies at the Central Christian Academy, a private elementary school, in Suwon. / Photos from John KimBy Park Jin-haiJohn Kim, 51, a pastor who recently published a photo essay “Pie Making Mom,” says for him mother is the word that always gives him heartache. “As long as I can remember, my mother was always standing. Waking up early in the morning, she was standing all day baking pies and cookies at the little pie shop. She also liked working in gardens and cleaning up around the Christian schools she worked at,” the Baptist pastor said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Seoul, last Monday. “The word mother reminds me of the endless scarifies she made over her entire life for the family and others.” His new book, comprised of photos of his 80-year-old mother Trudy Kim, whom he calls “the world's greatest pie maker,” and accompanying short stories he wrote, is a tribute to his American mother, who moved to Kor

Dec 16, 2018By Park Jin-hai

[INTERVIEW] Korean-American pastor recalls pie-baking mother

K-pop

Hallyu fervor rekindled in Japan amid diplomatic row

BTS accepts the Worldwide Icon of the Year award during the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Saitama, Japan, Wednesday. / Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Park Jin-hai The 2018 MAMA Mnet Asian Music Awards held at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, Wednesday, was the place where hallyu, which had hit hard but then entered the doldrums after a 2012 diplomatic row, remained strong in Japan. Despite the recent political hostilities between the two surrounding South Korea's Supreme Court ruling in October in favor of four Korean victims of forced labor during World War II; and controversy involving BTS and Japan's ultra-nationalist and far-right extremist group's threat of anti-Korean protests; experts say that the newly rekindled hallyu, “neo-hallyu” or the third-generation hallyu, can go beyond the politics, because it is different from the past phenomenon.“We see the third generation hallyu in Japan began in 2017. Many people in the industry say the current Korean wave phenomenon is really beyond imagination,” said Hwang Seon-hye, director of the Korea Creative Conten

Dec 14, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Hallyu fervor rekindled in Japan amid diplomatic row

Shows & Dramas

Viewers drawn into drama mocking Korea's insane education craze

Graphic by Cho Sang-won By Park Jin-hai“I will get you to the very top. Don't you think I can? I've paved the way for you. If you just endure and push yourself a little, you can have an easy ride to the top. My son, can you do that?” a father whispers to his kneeling son pointing to a model of a pyramid, after he failed to solve a math problem in the given time during a father-son study session. This suffocating scene is from the ongoing drama “SKY Castle.” Viewers know that reality can be even worse.Recently, a high school teacher stealing exam papers for his twin daughters attending the same school in southern Seoul to enable them to boost their academic records needed for college admission juxtaposes with stories of students who achieved perfect scores in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) grace news headlines. Education and the ardor for success remain constants in Korean society, and the JTBC drama “SKY Castle” mocks Korea's elite parents' obsession wit

Dec 11, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Park Jin-hai

Read more

Sandra Oh's Globe win echoes change in Hollywood

tvN begins 2019 with period drama 'The Crowned Clown'

Notorious drama writer returns with health book

Elderly women have 'second youth' as puppet performers

Top 10 entertainment headlines in 2018

Foreign actors take bigger roles in Korean cinema

INTERVIEW Song Kang-ho's 'hallucinating' acting stands out in 'Drug King'

INTERVIEW Korean-American pastor recalls pie-baking mother

Hallyu fervor rekindled in Japan amid diplomatic row

Viewers drawn into drama mocking Korea's insane education craze

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