Oh Yeon-seo denies affair with fellow actress' husband Ku Hye-sun, left, claims her husband Ahn Jae-hyun, center, had an affair with Oh Yeon-seo, who denied the allegation and threatened to sue Ku for defamation./ Korea Times fileAhn-Ku blame game spreads to fellow actressBy Jung Hae-myoung Actress Oh Yeon-seo has denied a rumor that she is having an affair with actor Ahn Jae-hyeon, the estranged husband of Ku Hye-sun, threatening legal action against “the rumormonger” for spreading the “baseless allegation.”Her reaction came hours after Ku uploaded a post on Instagram saying she was considering divorce after hearing her husband was having relations with an unspecified actress he has been working with on a forthcoming TV series.Oh and Ahn are currently shooting the drama, tentatively titled “Flawed People,” which will premiere on MBC in November. In a statement from her agency Wednesday, Oh said the allegation raised by Ku was baseless.“What Ku wrote about her husband's alleged relationship with the actress is not based on fact,” the statement read. “It's false information and what shSep 4, 2019
'Politainer' Kim Je-dong drops out of spotlight after controversy Korean television personality Kim Je-dong runs a show with his own name in 2015./ Korea Times fileBy Jung Hae-myoung Entertainer and show MC Kim Je-dong is set to quit his radio program called “Good Morning FM, Kim Je-dong,” which he has been hosting for a year and five months. The move came Monday, following his departure from “Tonight, Kim Je-dong,” a news talk show aired on KBS. His role in show business is unique as he is called a “politainer,” a Konglish portmanteau of “politician” and “entertainer,” for being vocal on thorny political issues and active in left-leaning political rallies. He rose to fame because of this and is set to quit the radio show for the same reason ― his outspokenness that has provided him with both supporters as well as detractors. Kim has also been mired in a scandal regarding his high lecture fees, and criticized for having biased points of view on political issues ― the reasons some think, he left the shows. On “Tonight, Kim Je-dong,” he interviewed the leader of the Kim Jong-un WSep 4, 2019
Comedian donates W10 mil. for wartime labor victims Yoo Byung-jae. Korea Times fileBy Ko Dong-hwanComedian Yoo Byung-jae has donated 10 million won ($8,200) to help build a memorial hall in commemoration of Koreans forced into hard labor by Japan during the World War II.The celebrity, managed by Sandbox Network, posted on Instagram a screen capture of a bank transaction he made on Monday. The money was given to the KEB Hana Bank account of Beautiful Foundation Utoro. Beautiful Foundation is a Korean non-profit charity organization that campaigns and collects money for the memorial hall project. Utoro is a Japanese town in Kyoto Prefecture where the Korean victims were held. The transaction's memo said "September donation Utoro."Despite Yoo's donation, the project's fund is still short of 30 million won, according to reports.During wartime in 1941, the Korean community in Utoro was forced to build an airfield. When Japan lost the war, the Koreans were left there and have been there for generations.About 60 Korean-Japanese households reportedly suffer from ethnic discrimination, and the town is under a demolition order. The foundation sSep 3, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan
Actor says sorry for rape offenses Kang Ji-hwan allegedly raped one woman and molested another after drinking with them at his home. YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanActor Kang Ji-hwan expressed remorse after the first trial for alleged rape offenses on Monday.Leaving the Suwon District Court's Seongnam branch, the actor's lawyer said Kang admitted “pretty much all his charges” and deeply regretted his actions.The lawyer said the actor, 42, “regretfully, doesn't remember what happened during the incident.”Kang, next to his lawyer, also told reporters he admitted what he had done and “sincerely regret it.”Kang allegedly raped one woman and molested another after drinking with them at his home in Gwangju, July 9.The women were staff members of a subcontractor working for the entertainment company representing Kang. The three were drinking with other staff at his house, and when everyone left the two women remained behind at Kang's request. He said he would call them a cab later.However, Kang apparently fell asleep, as did the women, and he later allegedly entered the room where the two were sleepSep 2, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan
Canadian sitcom 'Kim's Convenience' captivates viewers From left actors Paul Sun-hyung Lee, Jean Yoon and Andrea Bang, and producer Ivan Fecan of the Canadian sitcom “Kim's Convenience” pose at a press conference held Thursday at the Korean Film Archive in western Seoul. Courtesy of Seoul International Drama AwardsBy Lee Gyu-leeBroken English with a strong Korean accent is not a subject of mockery in the hit Canadian TV sitcom “Kim's Convenience” which revolves around a Korean family that runs a corner store in the Moss Park neighborhood of Toronto. Instead, the characters' accents are an element the TV show uses to make it realistic. The way “Kim's Convenience” described the culture shock and the four-member family's strong bond with their home country while settling in their new home in Canada was critical to grab the viewers' attention and empathy. The show took a lesser-emphasized Asian community into the mainstream. “When I first read the scenes, it touched my heart because it was about my Appa and Umma (dad and mom). I've never seen them represented that way so honestly and authentically. SSep 2, 2019By Lee Gyu-lee
Pirated contents increasing on YouTube: data A state copyright agency has found a total of 8,833 YouTube videos so far this year to be illegally copied contents that violate local copyright, marking a sharp rise from last year, data from the agency showed Sunday.The number of pirated videos, detected through Aug. 14, is similar to 8,880 cases found for the whole of last year, according to the data that the Korea Copyright Protection Agency submitted to Rep. Noh Woong-rae of the ruling Democratic Party, chairman of the parliamentary committee on science and broadcasting.Of the total, 3,393 cases were pirated movies, including Cannes-winning "Parasite," compared with a total of 2,514 illegal movie contents found last year, while 25 cases of unlicensed music were detected this year, compared with zero last year, the data showed. (Yonhap)Sep 1, 2019
Lizzy lauded for witty rebuttal to Japan's Dokdo claim Singer-actress Lizzy's has given a witty rebuttal about Japan's claim to Dokdo. Capture from Instagram @luvlyzzyBy Lee Han-naOnline users are praising actress-singer Lizzy's witty tit for tat exchange about Dokdo with an apparently Japanese netizen.On National Liberation Day (Aug. 15), Lizzy posted a photo taken at Dokdo, Korea's easternmost islets which Japan claims. “What are you doing in the territory of Japan? Get lost!” was the netizen's provocative comment. Lizzy replied, “You can't come without passport. Only we [Koreans] can come without passport.” The comment and photo were highlighted as the nation marked the anniversary of Japan's Aug. 29, 1910, annexation. An online user commented, “Just simple as two sentences, you showed them whose territory our Dokdo is!” while another wrote, “It sounds simple but meaningful. We can go without any passport.”Lizzy, or Park Soo-ah, debuted in 2010 as part of an eight―member girl band “After School” with a single “Bang!” She is also known s part of the trio “OraAug 30, 2019
Kim Sae-ron stars as a con artist in drama 'Leverage' Actress Kim Sae-ron stars in TV Chosun's drama "Leverage." Capture from Instagram @ron_saeBy Lee Han-naActress Kim Sae-ron will star in the new TV Chosun drama “Leverage.”It is about a justice-seeking con artist group that sets out to punish people who abuse the law.The series is a remake of the renowned American drama of the same name.Kim Sae-ron will play Go Na-byeol, a hot tempered, top-class thief who was in the national fencing team. She appears in different action scenes and uses her quick and flexible movements to help swindle people and sneak into places.Lee Dong-gun and Jeon Hye-bin also star in the drama.Kim debuted in 2009 with the movie “A Brand New Life,” when she was nine years old. Her next movie, “The Man from Nowhere,” which starred Won Bin, left a big impression. She has been starring in dramas and movies and a recent work was “Love Playlist,” where she played a new character, Seo Ji-min, in season 4.Aug 29, 2019
'I want to live': comedian cries out battling terminal-stage cancer Kim Chul-min in hospital pajamas performs on Aug. 24. Captured from Kim's Facebook account.By Park Si-soo “When I open my eyes in the morning these days, I feel gratitude for being alive and being able to live another day.” This message that comedian/street musician Kim Chul-min, 52, posted on his Facebook account on Aug. 16 represents the mixed feelings of profound sadness and gratitude taking root in his mind as the clock of life ticks to its end. He was confirmed to be in the terminal stage of lung cancer early this month. Cancer cells have spread to the whole of his body, he wrote. That means he has only months to live.“I find my sadness being diluted when I think that if I'm gone, I will be able to meet my parents and elder brother again,” he wrote, referring to his family members, all of whom died of cancer. “At the same time, sadness comes from the fact that the time for me to bid a farewell to people whom I've met on earth is nearing.” He said he prays to God every day for help, forgiveness and recovery, if possible. He added he will keep tAug 28, 2019
TV personality Robert Holley gets suspended jail term for drug use Robert Holley walks into Seoul Western District Court to attend his sentencing hearing on Wednesday. YonhapBy Park Si-sooTV personality Robert Holley, 61, has received a suspended jail term for drug use. Seoul Western District Court sentenced the naturalized Korean from the United States to one year in prison, suspended for two years. Holley was also ordered to do 40 hours of a mental treatment program. The court cited his “no criminal record and remorseful attitude” as reasons for the suspended term. Holley makes an apologetic bow at Seoul Western District Court, Wednesday. YonhapHe was charged in March with purchasing a gram of methamphetamine via the internet and injecting himself twice at home.After the verdict, he said he won't appeal. “I did something wrong, so I need to pay the price,” Holley told reporters while entering the courthouse. Aug 28, 2019
