TV Review Legal thriller 'Whisper' hits Korean politics head on Actor Lee Sang-yoon, left, and actress Lee Bo-young from SBS legal thriller "Whisper" /Courtesy of SBSBy Park Jin-haiAt a time when the candlelight vigils in Gwanghwamun Square and the people finally forced the impeachment and arrest of former President Park Geun-hye, and people talking about the next political administration and leader, the new SBS legal drama “Whisper” reveals the true colors of Korea’s society, throwing a timely question of what should be done for the society to have a fresh start.The 16-part legal thriller tells the story of former detective Shin Young-joo, played by actress Lee Bo-young, who teams up with a young and virtuous elite judge Lee Dong-joon, played by actor Lee Sang-yoon, to uncover corruption in the defense system at the nation's biggest law firm Taebaek.Penned by writer Park Kyung-soo, who previously wrote a series of political dramas including “The Chaser (2012),” “Empire of Gold (2013)” and “Punch (2014),” featuring the immoral power elite and the corrupt cartel of politics, businesses anApr 9, 2017
Actress Kim Young-ae dies of cancer at 65 By Ko Dong-hwanScreen and television actress Kim Young-ae died of pancreatic cancer Sunday. She was 65.She passed away after falling into critical condition a month earlier, according to her son, Lee Min-woo.Kim was first diagnosed with the cancer in 2012 while appearing in TV drama “Moon Embracing the Sun” on MBC. Despite the diagnosis, her acting career did not stop, doing eight more movies and seven TV series. Her latest work was TV series "The Laurel Tree Tailors" on KBS, which lasted from August to February.Born in Busan, Kim debuted as an actress for MBC at the age of 20. Her filmography includes 62 movies and more than 100 TV series. Apr 9, 2017
TV Review Gay characters spice up dramas Actor Kim Won-hae from JTBC romantic comedy "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon" /Courtesy of JTBC By Park Jin-haiWearing dark eyeliner, thick makeup, flashy nail colors and a silky blouse, Oh Dong-pyung, played by veteran actor Kim Won-hae, hisses at female lead Do Bong-soon, played by Park Bo-young in JTBC’s popular romantic comedy “Strong Woman Do Bong-soon.”Oh is the gay product development team leader, the self-proclaimed “crazy bitch of the office” in the drama. He has a crush on his game company chief Ahn Min-hyuk, played by Park Hyung-sik. Although Oh is not the lead character, his unforgettable presence steals the spotlight.Sexual minority characters have been featured many times in cinematic movies. But TV dramas, which had been cautious about the same-sex love topic, have started to feature such characters.It is not limited to modern dramas. In the on-going period drama “Saimdang, Memoir of Colors,” Hong Suk-chun, one of the most well-known gay celebrities, plays the character Lee Mong-ryong, a Joseon-era artist who seeks love frApr 5, 2017
Netflix's 'Iron Fist' tells atypical superhero story The main cast of Netflix’s new superhero series “Iron Fist” and writer-producer Scott Buck, right, speak to reporters at a media event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. From left are: Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, Tom Pelphrey and Buck. / YonhapBy Park Jin-haiVideo streaming giant Netflix, which has seen a sharp increase in the number of its international subscribers, brought the cast and director of its latest original series “Iron Fist” to Seoul.The superhero series based on the namesake 1974 Marvel comic book depicts an atypical superhero story _ brighter in its tone and more focused on drama than other productions, according the show’s executive director.Writer-producer Scott Buck, who visited Seoul with the show’s main cast _ Finn Jones, Jessica Stroup and Tom Pelphrey _ said, “I think each of these shows takes its tone from the character. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage are all darkly haunted figures,” during a media event at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday, for the 13-part television sMar 31, 2017
Actor Kim Hyun-joong to meet fans after drunk-driving incident By Eom Da-solKim Hyun-joongActor Kim Hyun-joong will still meet his fans in April after being caught driving while drunk last Sunday.Kim was caught while preparing for the fan-meeting concert at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Apr. 29.Contrary to public expectations that the actor, 30, would not be able to return to the screen because of the incident, Kim chose to honor his promise to thousands of fans.“There is no change in the original plan for the concert,” his agency KeyEast Entertainment said, apologizing for the incident.The agency added, “He hadn’t slept for days because he was practicing for his concert.“Even though he hadn’t driven more than a kilometer, the police officer asked Kim to take a blood alcohol test and suspended his driver’s license.”Although many young actors return to the screen when they finish their mandatory military service, it was unclear whether Kim would do this after he finished his service on Feb. 11 because of other issues.His ex-girlfriend, surnamed Choi, sued him in 2014, claiming Mar 31, 2017
INTERVIEW Kim Jae-wook fearful of portraying psychopath Kim Jae-wook / Courtesy of Better EntBy Park Jin-haiKim Jae-wook, who portrayed the villainous psychopathic heir of a chaebol in the recently ended OCN thriller “Voice,” said he is content with his acting.“In hindsight, I think that I didn’t overdo it in playing the role of Mo (Tae-gu),” Kim said during an interview with The Korea Times in a Seoul cafe Tuesday. “Instead of working up to make the role fancier and stand out from the others, I thought I finished it fine-cut, without frills,” In the crime thriller, which tells the story of a “Golden Time” team chasing serial killers, the model-turned-actor has been credited for his depiction of cold-blooded psychopathic killer Mo Tae-gu, who doesn’t flinch and calmly wields iron balls to crush his victims, crucifies an old woman who tipped off police and keeps victims’ organs in a refrigerator.Although the character was evil, Kim is featured in a suit. He stole every scene as a psychopathic killer who is spine-chilling and grMar 29, 2017
주상욱♥차예련 5월 결혼 (서울=코리아타임스) 우지원 인턴기자 = 배우 주상욱(39·사진 왼쪽)과 차예련(32)이 오는 5월 부부의 연을 맺는다. 드라마 ‘화려한 유혹'에 함께 출연하며 연인으로 발전한 이들은 작년 3월부터 공개 연애를 해왔다. 29일 오전 주상욱과 차예련이 오는 5월 결혼식을 올릴 것이라는 보도가 나왔고, 양측 소속사는 보도자료를 통해 이를 공식 인정했다. 예식은 5월로 정해졌지만 정확한 일시와 장소는 아직 정해지지 않았다. 차예련은 지난 24일 서울 약현성당에서 진행된 S.E.S맴버 바다의 결혼식에서 부케를 받아 결혼이 임박했음을 시사했었다. 주상욱은 1998년 KBS 1TV 드라마 ‘신세대 보고서 어른들은 몰라요’를 통해 데뷔한 이후 ‘자이언트’, ‘굿 닥터’, ‘미녀의 탄생’ 등 다수 작품에 주, 조연으로 출연하며 대중들의 사랑을 받았다. 차예련은 2004년 패션모델로 연예계에 데뷔해 ‘내겐 너무 사랑스러운 그녀’ 등 드라마와 영화에 출연했다.Mar 29, 2017
Actors Joo Sang-wook, Cha Ye-ryun to tie knot in May Actors Joo Sang-wook and Cha Ye-ryun will walk down the aisle in May after a year-long relationship. / Yonhap By Eom Da-solActors Joo Sang-wook and Cha Ye-ryun will marry in May.They have been preparing to tie the knot since they formally admitted their relationship in March last year, according to Joo’s agency Will Entertainment.“We have not decided the date and venue for the ceremony yet,” Joo told his agency.Joo, 39, and Cha, 32, met while playing a couple in TV drama “Glamorous Temptation” on MBC that ran from October 2015 to March 2016.After their relationship became formal, Cha posted photos of their dates on Instagram.Some netizens expected the couple’s wedding was imminent when Cha caught the bouquet at K-pop singer Bada’s wedding on Mar. 23.Joo made his debut on the small screen in 1997. He is best known for roles in TV drama series “Giant” (2010) and “Good Doctor” (2013).Cha debuted in 2004 and became popular after acting in “Royal Family” (2011).Mar 29, 2017
Gong Yoo's 5,500-ticket fan meeting in Taiwan sold out in minutes South Korean actor Gong Yoo's upcoming fan meet-and-greet in Taiwan sold out in minutes, according to the star's agency Tuesday.Tickets for the event scheduled on April 29 at Taipei's Hsingchuang Gymnasium went on sale at 11 a.m. Saturday, exclusively through 7-Eleven retail stores throughout Taiwan, according to Management Soop, which represents Gong.The company said that tickets were sold out in 10 minutes, adding that "such a result is rare given that the tickets were sold entirely offline."The event will be the first Taiwan fan meeting for Gong, who has catapulted into "hallyu" stardom through his hit TV show "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" and Korean zombie film "Train to Busan." Hallyu refers to the rising global popularity of Korean pop culture. (Yonhap)Mar 28, 2017
New time-travel thriller 'Tunnel' off to a good start By Park Jin-hai Scenes from OCN's new crime thriller "Tunnel" /Courtesy of CJ E&M“Tunnel,” new crime thriller on cable channel OCN, got off to a good start, defying previous concerns of another poorly made time travel story.For the weekend drama, telling the story of a homicide defective Park Kwang-ho of 1980’s, played by Choi Jin-hyuk, who time-travels to the present during the chase for a serial killer suspect, viewers expressed their concerns over the similarities with the 2015 crime drama “Signal,” which told the story of a detective duo of the past and present connected through the medium of walkie-talkie to solve cold cases.However, fatigued viewers who have seen too many time-slip dramas in recent years and the repeated failure of such dramas, including “Tomorrow With You” and “Saimdang: Memoir Of Colors,” dropped their concern after the first episodes of “Tunnel” hit the airwaves. Partly thanks to the halo effect of the previous hit thriller “Voice,” which drove viewers into extreMar 27, 2017
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