The Korea Times

'Ordinary people are who really run the show'

“Let's Eat Dinner Together” stars veteran host duo of Kang Ho-dong, left, and Lee Kyung-kyu, right, with two invited guests. / Courtesy of JTBC“Let's Eat Dinner Together” marks 2nd anniversaryBy Park Jin-haiJTBC's popular documentary-like reality show “Let's Eat Dinner Together,” which recently aired its 100th episode, is marking its 2nd anniversary Wednesday. The show, starring veteran host duo of Kang Ho-dong and Lee Kyung-kyu, with two invited guests, challenges them to knock on the doors of people in a certain neighborhood without prior notice and ask them if they will let them in so they can eat together. “After so many attempts and refusals, someone opens the door and lets us in, and the thrill of joy overwhelms. The whole space is filled with the warm feelings of welcoming,” said Bang Hyun-young, the show's producer in a recent interview. “When we are rejected, we feel embarrassed. But dispelling such negative feelings, we gather up the courage and challenge to knock on another person's door. The whole process is like a mic

Oct 22, 2018By Park Jin-hai

'Ordinary people are who really run the show'

Films

In 'Rampant,' hero slashes zombies

Actor Hyun Bin is seen in the upcoming zombie blockbuster “Rampant.” / Courtesy of NEWBy Park Jin-haiA much anticipated new zombie blockbuster, dubbed as a Joseon-era version of the 2016 box-office hit “Train to Busan,” has been unveiled to the media. In “Rampant,” director Kim Sung-hoon, of last year's action blockbuster “Confidential Assignment,” has joined hands with heartthrob Hyun Bin as his lead actor once again. It tells the story of Yi Chung, a prince who returns from the Qing Empire after his brother the crown prince's death. Yi happens to meet “night demons,” zombie and vampire hybrid-like monsters that follow loud sounds around and only attack human at nights, on his way to the palace. Facing the king, who only wants to keep his throne and find traitors, and Kim Ja-joon, played by Jang Dong-gun, an ambitious minister of war who doesn't welcome Yi's return, Yi teams up with a band of people to fight the night demons and save the nation.Compared with Yeon Sang-ho's “Train,” which explores human nature in

Oct 21, 2018By Park Jin-hai

K-pop

IU's single enters top 10 chart in China

Singer IU / Courtesy of Kakao MBy Park Jin-haiSinger-actress IU's new single “BBI BBI,” released Oct. 10, has made it into the top 10 music chart in China. The single released to celebrate the singer's 10th debut anniversary ranked 8th overall and topped the K-pop music genre, according to one of China's largest music streaming sites NetEase Cloud Music's weekly music chart, which has over 400 million users. “We realize the singer's strong popularity in China. Among K-pop artists, IU made it into the top 10 chart,” said an official of her agency Kakao M. It was IU's first music release since her last remake album “A Flower Bookmark #2” unveiled September last year. The single's music video also became the second most watched video in the K-pop category on China's music video sharing site YinYue Tai's weekly V-Chart. Following the album's release, IU's new single has swept major local music charts. Surpassing 1 million listeners on Melon music chart in 16 hours after its release, “BBIBBI” broke the 24-hour unique listener record on the m

Oct 16, 2018By Park Jin-hai

IU's single enters top 10 chart in China

Films

Han Ji-min plays tough woman in “Miss Baek”

Actress Han Ji-min takes on the toughest role of her entire acting career in her latest film “Miss Baek.” She plays ex-convict Baek Sang-ah who was abused by her mother and abandoned as a child. / Courtesy of Little Big PicturesActress Han Ji-min is no longer a “sweetheart.”In her latest film “Miss Baek,” the 35-year-old actress turns into a tough ex-convict, swearing, spitting and smoking on the street corner _ an image one can hardly imagine for the actress, known for her humanitarian work and voluntary efforts to help children from North Korea and in developing countries in Asia. The film “Miss Baek” deals with child abuse. Han plays Baek Sang-ah, a woman abused by her mother and abandoned as a child, who in protecting herself from sexual assault had to serve jail time, and then lives an emotionally closed-off life from the rest of the world.Instead of her given name, she lives as “Miss Baek” to hide her identity, but as she happens to meet a girl in the street who has been abused by her computer game-addicted father and

Oct 15, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Han Ji-min plays tough woman in “Miss Baek”

Shows & Dramas

g.o.d returns with travel variety show

A promotional photo for JTBC's new travel variety “Shall We Walk Together”/Courtesy of JTBCBy Park Jin-haiFive-member K-pop idol group g.o.d of the early 2000s, which received huge popularity by appearing in child-rearing variety show “Babysitting Diary” between 2000 and 2001, has returned with JTBC's new travel variety show  17 years later. In the “Shall We Walk Together” premiere Thursday, the five men, who debuted in January 1999, went on a two week long trek in the Camino de Santiago, Spain _ a route known as a spiritual path _ in order to commemorate their upcoming 20th anniversary. “It was physically the hardest show I've ever done. But there was more that I gained,” said Park Joon-hyung, leader of the group and now famous for his YouTube channel “Wassup Man,” during a press conference at the JTBC headquarters in Seoul, prior to the show's broadcast. “We have walked our separate ways for many years, but for the two weeks together with each other, I felt like it filled all the gaps between us,” he added

Oct 14, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Shows & Dramas

Drama writer Noh Hee-kyung to win gender equality award

Park Jin-haiNoh Hee-kyung / Korea Times file photoVeteran drama writer Noh Hee-kyung became the winner of the Gender Equality Award for people in the field of culture who have contributed to gender equality. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on Wednesday the 52-year-old writer, renowned for her realistic and in-depth portrayals of the lives of ordinary people, as the laureate of this year's Gender Equality Award. “Noh has successfully shown various aspects of society through media by realistically portraying stories of the disadvantaged, the minority and the socially weak,” said the judging committee. “She has greatly contributed to raising awareness of such social issues.”The popular writer, who debuted with “Mom's Gardenias” (1996), telling a realistic story about a terminally ill mother and her daughter, has been writing socially conscious stories in her career as a drama series writer spanning over two decades. With her four-part drama “The Most Beautiful Goodbye in the World” (1996), Noh told the story of a dyin

Oct 10, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Drama writer Noh Hee-kyung to win gender equality award

Trends

Beauty YouTuber leads free-corset movement

Beauty YouTuber Bae Li-na / Captured from her YouTube channelBy Park Jin-haiBae Li-na, 22, a “beauty YouTuber,” says “It is okay not to be pretty.” In her video clip, “I'm not pretty,” uploaded to support the “free corset movement,” Bae puts on makeup and is ridiculed by harassing comments because her face is “away from the beauty standards this society has.” Then she wipes off all her makeup and says “don't exploit yourself because of who others think you are. You are special as the person you are,” with a big smile on her face.Amid the free corset campaign that defies standards of female beauty demanded by society such as long hair and makeup, beauty YouTubers who have been spreading beauty tips online have also joined the movement. Bae's clip posted in June received strong backing from women, garnering nearly 5 million views. Bae, a makeup artist, started to post makeup videos. But after she happened to read the stories of women taking part in the free-corset movement, she realized how many women are suffering

Oct 9, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Beauty YouTuber leads free-corset movement

Law & Crime

Arrest warrant sought for Shinhan head

By Park Jin-haiProsecutors sought an arrest warrant for Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Cho Yong-byoung, Monday, for his involvement in hiring irregularities at the group's banking unit. Cho, along with other former high ranking executives at Shinhan Bank, is suspected of having hired unqualified applicants, who were the children of high ranking company officials, between March 2015 and March 2017 when he was the head of the bank, according to the prosecution.Two former officials have already been arrested on charges of providing favors in recruitment to such job applicants, who also included children of former ranking government officials. Prosecutors believe nearly 90 people landed jobs at the bank through the irregularities practiced by the two officials.They summoned Cho twice earlier this month for questioning over the allegations to find out how deeply he was involved. The Seoul Eastern District Court will decide whether to issue the warrant for Cho soon.The investigation began after the Financial Supervisory Service conducted an inspection into the suspicion and found 22 case

Oct 8, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Arts & Theater

'Korea's Mr. Bean' returns with adult-only show

Shim Hyung-rae, comedian-turned-director, carries the torch as the last torchbearer to kick off the 6th Busan Interntional Comedy Festival in this Aug. 24 file photo. / Courtesy of Hankook Sports EconomyBy Park Jin-hai Comedian-turned-director Shim Hyung-rae, well-known for his Dumb and Dumber-like slapstick in the 1980s, will return with his oldies-but-goodies classic comedy show for adults. The 60-year-old comedian, who earned fame with his slapstick character “Young-gu” in the KBS popular comedy show “No.1 Humor Street” segment, will recreate his character in the live adult-only comedy show. “Adult-only Variety Shim Hyung-rae Show,” which will kick off a nationwide tour on Nov. 3, originates from “Shim Hyung-rae Traveling Troupe” he has been doing since February. “When I was invited to a festival at a small town in South Chungcheong Province, I put on stage a comedy show reviving one of my favorite segments. Audiences still remembered me and gave a strong response to my shows, although I've been away from live comedy for a long

Oct 8, 2018By Park Jin-hai

'Korea's Mr. Bean' returns with adult-only show

Films

Comedy tells what cell-phone party games can bring

A scene from film “Intimate Strangers” / Courtesy of Lotte EntertainmentBy Park Jin-haiA-listers have been gathered to star in the dramedy “Intimate Strangers,” which will hit local theaters at the end of the month. Veteran actors including Yoo Hae-jin, a top character actor reputed as a comic scene stealer in many films; Cho Jin-woong of “Assassination,” “The Handmaiden” and “The Spy Gone North”; and actor and variety show host Lee Seo-jin, known for the television shows “Grandpas Over Flowers” and “Youn's Kitchen,” have been cast in the much anticipated movie telling the story of close-friend couples who end up playing a cell-phone game at a housewarming dinner party where they must reveal all incoming messages and calls to each other. “When I first read the scenario, I wondered if it could be possible to play such a game with married couples. But the interesting relations intertwined with each other made me join the project,” said Yoo during a press conference at a Lotte Cinema in Seoul

Oct 5, 2018By Park Jin-hai

Park Jin-hai

Read more

'Ordinary people are who really run the show'

In 'Rampant,' hero slashes zombies

IU's single enters top 10 chart in China

Han Ji-min plays tough woman in “Miss Baek”

g.o.d returns with travel variety show

Drama writer Noh Hee-kyung to win gender equality award

Beauty YouTuber leads free-corset movement

Arrest warrant sought for Shinhan head

'Korea's Mr. Bean' returns with adult-only show

Comedy tells what cell-phone party games can bring

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