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Shows & Dramas

Couples with age gap now normal in K-dramas

Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri in tvN's “Mr. Sunshine.” Courtesy of CJ ENMBy Dong Sun-hwaCouples with big age gaps are now nothing extraordinary in Korean dramas ― many of the couples have age differences of 10 years or more. Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum will star in an upcoming TV series, “Encounter.” Yonhap“Mr. Sunshine,” a just-ended 24-episode TV series penned by star writer Kim Eun-sook, grabbed attention as soon as the leading cast was revealed ― actor Lee Byung-hun, 48, and Kim Tae-ri, 28.Many claimed the pair would not be able to create romantic chemistry, but instead would look more like an uncle and a niece. However, the drama proved popular, with the last episode rating 18 percent viewership. It was also acclaimed for putting the spotlight on the forgotten fighters of the Joseon Kingdom who struggled for the freedom of their nation. Lee Na-young and Lee Jong-suk will appear in a drama tentatively titled “Romance is a Supplement.” Yonhap“People are less reluctant about couples with a big age gap these days,” an indus

Oct 17, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Couples with age gap now normal in K-dramas
K-pop

VIDEO Sulli suffers from panic disorder, social phobia

Singer-actress Sulli: “I felt that nobody understands me.” YonhapBy Dong Sun-hwaSinger-turned-actress Sulli revealed Monday that she suffers from panic disorder and social phobia. She said she had suffered from panic disorder since she was young.“Even close people left me ― I was hurt by them and felt there was nobody who understands me, which made me fall apart,” she says in a teaser video for her upcoming reality show “Jinri Store.” She uploaded the video on Instagram. Watch the video on Sulli's Instagram: bit.ly/2NJZ67wIt is uncommon for a celebrity to reveal mental problems, with most stars reluctant to speak about their mental issues. “Jinri Store” is a reality show, in which Sulli will be CEO of a pop-up store.Sulli, 24, made her debut as a child actress in 2005 and as a member of K-pop idol group f(x) in 2009 with the album "LA chA TA." In 2015, she left the group to forge an acting career.

Oct 16, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Sulli suffers from panic disorder, social phobia [VIDEO]
K-pop

Music gives singer-songwriter Park Ki-young power to speak out

Singer-songwriter Park Ki-young: “Twenty years is a long enough time.” Courtesy of Moonlight Purple PlayBy Dong Sun-hwa“I don't want to romanticize our reality in my songs,” says singer-songwriter Park Ki-young, who recently released her eighth studio album “Re:Play.” “Instead, I want to convey genuine and 'crude' feelings that people have ― anger, sorrow and depression ― even if they are negative," she said in showcasing the album in Seoul on Oct. 15.“With my EP, I am trying to deliver 'warning messages' to those who capitalize on other people for their own greed, and I believe that for my message to have power, the music has to be outstanding.”In fact, Park showed her music on stage, starting with “High Hits” and the lead track “I gave you.” The latter song is a rare but catchy combination of blues and electronic genres, which wowed many listeners who did not expect Park to come up with such a different music genre. She has long been known for her ever-changing music style, but this time, the change was p

Oct 16, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Music gives singer-songwriter Park Ki-young power to speak out
Shows & Dramas

Actress loses custody of children to Italian husband

Ok So-ri's first marriage ended after she was convicted of adultery. YonhapBy Dong Sun-hwaActress Ok So-ri, whose real name is Ok Bo-gyeong, has reportedly lost custody of her two children to her Italian husband. The legal battle began in 2016. The actress married an Italian chef in 2011, and gave birth to a son and a daughter. The family lived together in Taiwan, but Ok divorced her husband in 2014 due to several problems. Her ex-husband reportedly married another woman in 2016. It is the second time the actress has divorced and lost custody.In 1996, she married actor Park Chul and the pair had one daughter. Ok and Park divorced in 2007, on the grounds of Ok's adultery. She was sentenced to eight months' jail, suspended for two years, and also failed to win the custody of her daughter. Ok made her debut in a TV commercial in 1987 and appeared in several productions, including the TV series “Hero's Diary” in 1994.

Oct 15, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Actress loses custody of children to Italian husband
K-pop

PHOTOS Guess who? BTS members' pre-debut photos revealed

Clockwise from top left are Jin, Suga, j-hope and RM from BTS before and after debut. All pictures captured from online communityBy Dong Sun-hwaAs K-pop superstar BTS makes its name in the world, many people began wondering what BTS members looked like before their 2013 debut with “No More Dream.”1. RM (Rap Monster) BTS leader and rapper RMRM, or Kim Nam-joon, can be regarded as the “beginning” of the group's history, since Bang Si-hyuk, founder and CEO of the group's agency, decided to give birth to a hip-hop idol group after bumping into RM. The leader, who was born in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, used to be a recognized as an underground rapper with the stage name “Runch Randa,” before joining Big Hit Entertainment in 2010. In fact, he was a top student at his middle and high school with an IQ of 148. With his fluent English, he has been conveying the messages of BTS in English even at United Nations Headquarters in New York in September. 2. SugaBTS rapper SugaSuga, whose real name is Min Yoon-gi, was born in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province. He fo

Oct 15, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Guess who? BTS members' pre-debut photos revealed [PHOTOS]
Shows & Dramas

Lee Jong-suk, Lee Na-young to star in upcoming drama

Lee Na-young and Lee Jong-suk. YonhapBy Dong Sun-hwaActor Lee Jong-suk will star in a new tvN romantic comedy drama tentatively titled “Romance Is A Supplement” with actress Lee Na-young. The drama is set in a book publishing company. Lee Na-young will play a woman who struggles to get a new job because of her “excessively high” qualifications. She therefore fakes her educational background and finds a position at a publishing company, where Lee Jong-suk is managing editor. “The script of the drama had a warmth and humor that touched my heart,” said the actress, explaining why she accepted the role. Lee Na-young first became known to the public in a TV commercial in 1998, and then debuted as an actress the same year. She rose to stardom in “Ruler of Your Own World” in 2002 and “Ireland” in 2004. Her latest TV series was “The Fugitive: Plan B” in 2010. She married actor Won Bin in 2015. Lee Jong-suk made his debut as a model in 2005 and began forging his acting career in 2012 after being featured in the drama &ldq

Oct 15, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Lee Jong-suk, Lee Na-young to star in upcoming drama
K-pop

INTERVIEW Why Baek Ji-woong chose ballad instead of K-pop [VIDEO]

Baek Ji-woong released “Close But Far” on Oct. 7. Courtesy of Those RecordsBy Dong Sun-hwaBallad singer Baek Ji-woong is not a trend chaser but one trying to strike his own path. Baek, who released “Close But Far” on Oct. 7, also has a story to tell of how music changed his life, starting with his struggle with himself. “I weighed 105 kilograms when I was in my middle school, but I decided to lose weight to become a singer,” Baek told The Korea Times. His friends mocked him, telling him he was too fat to sing. Their mocking broke his heart many times, but made him even more determined. He lost 30 kilograms in the end. “I would even eat and vomit,” the singer remembered. “I would also run three hours and once passed out on a bus because I didn't eat.”Then he took part in SBS audition program “K-pop Star” in 2011, while serving as a conscripted policeman. He did not win, but many were impressed by his charming voice. Baek finally debuted in 2013, with “I Miss You” and since then, has released many songs

Oct 12, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
[INTERVIEW] Why Baek Ji-woong chose ballad instead of K-pop [VIDEO]
K-pop

Actress Jun Ji-hyun likely to return to TV

Jun Ji-hyun is considering several possible roles. YonhapBy Dong Sun-hwaActress Jun Ji-hyun is likely to return to the small screen next year starring in a TV series penned by Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran, known as the “Hong sisters.”Jun is reportedly considering her role in the drama, whch is expected to be shown on tvN. Jun is a hallyu star who rocketed to screen fame thanks to a myriad of hits including the film “My Sassy Girl” in 2001, “The Thieves” in 2012 and the drama “My Love from the Star” in 2013-14. She has not been seen on the small screen since appearing in the SBS TV series “Legend of the Blue Sea” in 2016 with actor Lee Min-ho. The actress, 36, married Choi Joon-hyuk and they have two sons. The Hong sisters also wrote “Sassy Girl Chun-hyang” in 2005 and “The Greatest Love” in 2011. Meanwhile, “Jun is now reviewing a number of works to make her comeback next year, but the decision has not been made,” a spokesperson for the actress told News1 on Friday.

Oct 12, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Actress Jun Ji-hyun likely to return to TV
Shows & Dramas

YG comedy show makes fun of China

Korean security guards wearing the traditional apparel of China's Qing Dynasty. Capture from NetflixBy Dong Sun-hwaYG Entertainment's latest eight-episode comedy, “YG Future Strategy Office (YG FSO),” is in trouble in China for allegedly mocking the country. In the fourth episode, Korean security guards in the traditional clothes of China's Qing Dynasty, said, “I am a pig” in Chinese. Chinese media Sina slammed the scene on Thursday as “an obvious abasement.”In the same episode, Jinu from hip-hop duo Jinusean, playing a senior YG executive, said hip-hop was the key to targeting the Chinese market, using a map of China to support his claim. The map, however, did not show the entire regions of China, angering Chinese viewers. Map of China in “YG Future Strategy Office (YG FSO)” excluded some regions in China. Capture from NetflixAs a result, the Instagram of Yang Hyun-suk, founder of YG Entertainment, was bombarded with malicious comments from Chinese fans, and Yang apologized.“I am sorry for Chinese fans ― I have already instructed

Oct 12, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
YG comedy show makes fun of China
Shows & Dramas

Reality show likely to be disciplined after Seungri violates gender equality rules

Seungri from BIGBANG asks Sejeong from Gugudan to pour drinks for men. Capture from tvNBy Dong Sun-hwaCable entertainment channel tvN may face a penalty for airing a segment that breached gender equality rules.The travel reality show “Salty Tour” contained a scene that featured singer Seungri, a member of K-pop act BIGBANG, asking a girl group member to pour drinks for men she favored. The Broadcast Deliberation Subcommittee of the Korea Communication Standards Commission (KOCSC) found it was against gender equality rules. The decision will be passed on to a general meeting.The problematic episode aired on Aug. 18 when cast members were traveling in Xiamen, China. Seungri asked Sejeong of K-pop girl band Gugudan to pour a beer for men she liked, despite her being flustered. She poured drinks for two men in the end.The subcommittee said the crew of the show lacked sensitivity regarding gender equality. Seungri, who debuted in five-member group BIGBANG in 2006 with the album "Bigbang," rose to fame thanks to the band's hits including "Lie" and "HARU HARU."

Oct 11, 2018By Dong Sun-hwa
Reality show likely to be disciplined after Seungri violates gender equality rules
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