'Descendants of the Sun' to go to air in Japan By Park Si-sooKBS TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun” will go to air in Japan.According to news reports, the Korean broadcaster recently signed a contract to sell the 16-episode drama to a Japanese broadcaster for $100,000 per episode. The Japanese buyer is unknown.Industry insiders welcome the news, raising expectations that this deal could lead to a full-fledged resumption of imports of Korean TV dramas and shows by Japanese TV stations.Japanese broadcasters have been reluctant to import Korean TV content for years due to chilly diplomatic ties, caused by conflicting views on Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, comfort women and other historic issues.Mar 13, 2016
Strong female characters take over TV shows Comedian Kim Sook says “Such money, that I can make,” on the TV show “Radio Star.” / Courtesy of MBCBy Park Jin-haiKim Sook, a 40-year-old comedienne, isn’t afraid of making sexist remarks on the small screen.Typical lines familiar to anyone in Korea’s patriarchal society are repeated ― but this time the pronouns are swapped from “he” to “she.”Strong female personalities ― Kim, Park Na-rae and Hwang Seok-jeong ― are part of a small-screen phenomenon these days.In Korea’s deep rooted male-dominant society, where women have largely remained peripheral as complementary co-hosts and supporting characters, they charter a new chapter in the entertainment industry with characters that have never been seen before.Kim Sook, right, and her virtual husband Yoon Jung-soo are featured on the TV show “With You.” Courtesy of JTBCKim, without doubt, is a pioneer.Looking at her fictional husband Yoon Jung-soo in JTBC’s virtual marriage program “With You,” Kim says “How dare a manMar 11, 2016
Kim Bum-soo to hold 17th anniversary concert this weekend By Kim Jae-heunPoster of Kim Bum-soo’s 2016 concertPopular Korean R&B and ballad singer Kim Bum-soo will hold concerts today and tomorrow to celebrate the 17th anniversary of his debut, at the Olympic Hall of Olympic Park Stadium in eastern Seoul.Kim released a 35-second teaser video on Monday to promote the concerts. He wakes up in the scene wearing a white bathrobe and a gold necklace and eats a light breakfast before dressing to prepare for his concert. The singer gets on an elevator and the door closes, with information on the show appearing on the monitor.Kim’s show, “Aged 17 Years,” celebrates his singing career since 1999 and also marks “White Day” on March 14, an answer to Valentine’s Day, when men give romantic gifts in return for what they received from their special women friends a month earlier.The veteran singer expects many couples to attend the concerts and he will perform some of his romantic hit songs, such as “Promise” and “Last Love.”After the Seoul concerts, Kim will perform shows in big ciMar 11, 2016
Kwon to star in Chinese drama Kwon Sang-woo / Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-jiActor Kwon Sang-woo will star in a Chinese drama with popular actors Wang Ziwen and Li Nian.Tentatively titled “Returned Love,” Kwon will play male lead Song Jin-nam, who loses memory of his wife after an accident.Song meets a new girlfriend and his memory gradually begins to recover.Kwon said the story made him think about what true love is.The actor will go to Beijing to begin shooting the drama later this month.Mar 11, 2016
Hyeri released from hospital Hyeri / Screen capture from InstagramBy Bahk Eun-jiHyeri, a member of K-pop band Girl's Day, has returned home after days of intensive treatment for meningitis, Dream Tea Entertainment said Friday.The singer-actress, 22, widely known as the heroine of tvN's hit series "Reply 1988," was released from hospital about 4 p.m. Thursday.“The doctors said her condition has much improved and gave her prescriptions to take home while she rests,” an agency official said. Hyeri was diagnosed with meningitis _ inflammation of the protective membranes of the brain and spinal cord _ on March 6, days after coming down with a high fever and severe headache.After her health worsened, Hyeri's scheduled appointments were called off indefinitely.The fever and headache are gone, but Hyeri will rest to recover fully. Mar 11, 2016
Park Hae-jin Japan-bound for 'Cheese in the Trap' Park Hae-jin / Courtesy of tvNBy Kim Da-hee Actor Park Hae-jin will promote his latest drama, “Cheese in the Trap,” in Japan, his management agency WM Company said Friday.The tvN drama will air first on cable TV’s Mnet Japan in April. It will then be shown on a major Japanese broadcast network in August.Park, who plays a male lead, Yoo Jung, has been invited to join the promotion some time after August.“Park is excited to have the drama shown in Japan and is looking forward to meeting fans there,” the agency said.The actor also is scheduled to attend a fan meeting to mark the 10th anniversary of his debut.It will be held at the SK Handball Gymnasium in Seoul's Olympic Park on April 23.Mar 11, 2016
Romance blooms for Ahn Jae-hyun, Ku Hye-sun "Blood" / Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-jiPopular actors Ahn Jae-hyun and Ku Hye-sun have been dating since April, their agencies said Friday.Ahn, 28, and Ku, 31, began the romance when they were shooting KBS TV drama “Blood” last year, the agencies said.Ahn debuted as a fashion model in 2009 and began acting in popular drama “My Love from the Star (2013),” playing a supporting role.Ku began her acting career in “Nonstop 5” in 2004 and rose to stardom in 2009 in the TV romance-drama “Boys Over Flowers.” Mar 11, 2016
Women's Army stars reveal what they saw in shower Nana(top) and Jun Hyo-seong from MBC's “Real Men: Women’s Army Special”By Ko Dong-hwan Two stars from MBC’s military variety show “Real Men: Women’s Army Special” have revealed on TV what they saw in a group shower.Actress Kim Sung-eun and singer Nana from K-pop girl band After School joined MBC’s night talk show “Radio Star,” on Wednesday.Four male hosts were eager to listen to the two stars’ behind-the-scenes experiences of what happened when eight female stars showered together.Kim picked Nana for having the best body of all, referring to her overall beautiful body and long legs.Nana made headlines last December when British movie critic TC Candler picked her as the most beautiful face of 2015.Nana, on the other hand, regretted not being able to check singer Jun Hyo-seong from K-pop girl band SECRET, well known for her curvaceous bust, because of fog in the shower room.Now in its fourth season, “Real Men: Women’s Army Special” challenges female stars to experience physically demMar 10, 2016
10 sweetest quotes from 'Descendants of the Sun' By Kim Da-heeThe main actors in the KBS TV drama series “Descendants of the Sun” have left numerous quotes as sweet and romantic as the sound track.Major quotes from the main performers, including Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, are making the rounds on Korean, Chinese and other Asian websites, indicating the drama’s Asia-wide popularity.The fifth episode on Wednesday showed doctor Kang Mo-yeon (Song Hye-kyo) emotionally attached to Capt. Yoo Si-jin (Song Joong-ki) after the latter saved the former from a car on the edge of a cliff after the vehicle skidded off the road.The episode rated a record 27.4 percent, according to Nielsen Korea.The Korea Times has selected the 10 best lines from the drama and translated them into English for foreign fans. /Courtesy of KBS1. “I hope you don’t think my kiss is bad. I did it after thinking a thousand times” (After You Si-jin kisses Kang Mo-yeon for the first time). 2. “You are already beautiful”(Yoo Si-jin speaks to Kang Mo-yeon, who is reluctant to make eye contact because shMar 10, 2016
Online business as usual for health trainer, despite criticism Ray Yang / Courtesy of InstagramBy Ko Dong-hwwanYang's controversial photo from the March 1 Independence Movement Day / Courtesy of InstagramNetizens are still closely following health trainer Ray Yang’s constant online posts despite her inappropriate post on the March 1 Independence Movement Day .Yang, 29, has not apologized for the Instagram post, but has instead continued to update her SNS account, posting photos of herself lifting weights, doing other exercises and showing her reflection in a mirror.Yang’s SNS post on the statutory holiday showed her wearing short pants, high-heeled shoes, a long coat and looking grim as she holds a rifle with a grim face. She wrote about the meaning of the holiday and mentioned she had cried while learning about the day at elementary school.She expressed respect for those who had died campaigning for Korea’s liberation from Japan’s Colonial Period (1910-1945).But netizens criticized the photo because it appeared irrelevant to her purported patriotism. Yang deleted the post following the criticism.Mar 10, 2016
