Canadian gamer in bar scuffle Guillaume Patry from JTBC's "Non-Summit" / Courtesy of JTBCCanadian e-sport player and TV personality Guillaume Patry has been involved in a barroom scuffle.On Monday at about 4 a.m., a Korean man, identified only as Kim, in his 20s, approached Patry, 33, in a bar in Itaewon, Seoul, where the star was with two Korean women.The meeting turned into a scuffle, with Patry reportedly grabbing Kim’s collar, according to media reports.Patry from video commercial for game app "Hearthstone" / Screen capture from YouTubeYongsan police took Patry into custody. He admitted grabbing Kim’s collar, and was later released.Patry is a regular guest on JTBC’s entertainment show “Non-summit,” where foreigners from 12 countries lock horns about various social issues.Dec 28, 2015
Sick BTS members cancel Japan concert V, left, and Suga from BTS / Courtesy of FacebookK-pop idol boy band BTS has canceled their Japan concert planned on Sunday to Monday due to two members suffering from dizziness.V and Suga from the band, according to the band’s official SNS site on Sunday, demanded they will proceed with the concert but medical experts in Japan said the singers must rest.The band’s management company, BigHit Entertainment, said on the site they chose to cancel the show rather than to push forward with the plan with the band missing two members and failing to impress audiences.“CT scanning on the two members showed they were suffering from no serious causes other than dizziness. The illness appeared to be due to the members’ excessive physical movement on stages,” an insider from the company said on the site.The concert, “2015 BTS Live Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa on Stage ~ Japan Edition ~,” was planned to take place in World Memorial Hall in Kobe.Dec 28, 2015
Lee Min-jung to star in drama with Rain Lee Min-jung / Korea Times fileActress Lee Min-jung will star in the SBS TV drama “Comeback, Mister,” after a two-year break. The wife of actor Lee Byung-hun gave birth to the couple’s son in March.The drama is based on the Japanese novel “Mr. Tsubakiyama’s Seven Days,” published in 2002.It is about manager Kazuaki Tsubakiyama, who dies from overwork the night after the opening of a major sale at the department store where he works. Tsubakiyama returns briefly to this world.Rain, whose name is Jung Ji-hoon, will play Lee Hae-joon, the dorky manager of department store, who becomes the handsome manager of women’s apparel.Lee will play Shin Da-hye, who falls in love with Lee Hae-joon.Lee made her debut in a supporting role in the film “Someone Special” in 2004. She became popular after starring in the popular drama “Boys Over Flowers” in 2009. Dec 28, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Kim Hyun-joong's parents offer to raise child Kim Hyun-joong from KBS TV drama "Boys over Flower" (2009) / Screen capture from YouTube/ Korea Times fileWhile singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong’s legal fight with his ex-girlfriend over his physical harassment and who the father of her baby is has continued for more than a year, his parents say they will raise the child if Kim’s ex-lover cannot.On a TV celebrity news show on Sunday, Kim’s father, Kim Hong-seong, said, “We hope a court will decide whether my son or his ex-girlfriend will provide a better environment for the child.”A lawyer for Kim’s ex-girlfriend, identified by her surname Choi, said last Monday that Kim, 29, who was drafted in May to serve 21 months in the military, and Choi confirmed at Seoul National University College of Medicine that Kim was the father of the child with 99.9 percent accuracy.The legal conflict started in August last year, when Choi, 31, sued Kim for physically harassing her, causing an injury that put her in hospital for six weeks.She said in the suit his violence had caused her to lose the baby.ProsecutorDec 28, 2015
Rain lights up Chinese landmark skyscraper with his name /Courtesy of Rain CompanyThe large slogan “LOVE ♥RAIN, ♥ RAIN♥” beamed from Shenzen’s tallest building -- the KK100 (KingKey Financial Center) -- during singer and actor Rain’s world tour concert titled “The Squall” at Shanghai Grand Stage on Dec. 26.The KK100 is the world’s 14th tallest building.The concert was aired in China via YY webcast, which recorded more 1.57 million views as soon as the concert started.A YY official said Rain had set a record on the Chinese Internet, with the webcast drawing about 2 million online viewers and more than 600,000 comments during the two-hour concert.Meanwhile, Rain will continue his world tour concert, flying to Shenyang, Hong Kong and Beijing.He is scheduled to star in the SBS drama “Come back, Mister” which will go to air in February. Dec 28, 2015
Star's brother believed to have killed himself Nam Bo-ra / Screen capture from InstagramActress Nam Bo-ra’s younger brother has died in an apparent suicide, reports said Monday.Nam, 26, has eight brothers and four sisters. Her large family appeared on the KBS TV program “Screening Humanity” in 2008, which coincidentally led to Nam making her debut as an actress.Will Entertainment, Nam’s management company, would not reveal details about Nam’s younger brother, for privacy reasons.Nam has appeared in several TV series including “Glory Jane” and “Moon Embracing the Sun.”The actress wrapped up the SBS TV series “My Heart Twinkle Twinkle,” in April. Dec 28, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Lee Seo-jin returns to small screen Lee Seo-jin /Korea Times file Actor Lee Seo-jin, 44, will appear in MBC’s new Saturday-Sunday TV drama, tentatively titled “100 days’ Wife.”The drama is a story about a terminally-ill single mother who enters into a contract marriage for her daughter. Lee plays the role of the male protagonist, that of a veteran song writer, Han Ji-hoon, who is popular among women for his good manners.Lee’s last small screen role was last year with the drama “Good Days” that aired on KBS. Since then, he has appeared in various popular reality TV shows such as “Grandpas Over Flowers” and “Three Meals a Day.”The new drama will air in February next year. Dec 28, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Nana again 'most beautiful face' Nana / Korea Times fileNana, a former member of the K-pop girl band After School, has TC Candler’s list of “100 The Most Beautiful Face of 2015” disclosed via SNS and YouTube, reports said Sunday.It is the second TC Candler’s honor for Nana, 24, whose real name is Im Jin-ah.She has been more active in China this year, where she has featured in such films as “Go Lalal Go 2” with Ariel Lin, Vic Zhou and Chen Bolin. Dec 27, 2015
Cook TV, retro, cable dominate small screens in 2015 Star chef Baek Jong-won in a scene from MBC’s “My Little Television” / Korea TimesKim Tae-ho Shin Won-ho Na Young-seokBy Kwon Ji-younCook TV, music shows and drama series broadcast on Friday and Saturday evenings dominated the small screen this year, with star chefs, big name producers and oldies putting idol groups and reality shows to shame.If 2014 saw celebrity juniors take center stage, 2015 placed the spotlight on celebrity cooks. Music shows found breakthroughs with innovative formats, while KBS’s “The Producers” and tvN’s “Reply 1988” kept viewers at home on Friday and Saturday evenings.Internet shows were a mixed blessing for broadcasters, and cable came out the winner in a battle of sorts with the three major channels and the retro boom has yet to lose steam. Here are keywords that defined entertainment in 2015.Cook TVCheftainers ― a neologism combining chef and entertainer ― including Baek Jong-won, Choi Hyun-seok and Sam Kim cooked up a storm in entertainment this year, teaching viewers how to preparDec 27, 2015
Top stars to light up musical 'Hedwig' /YonhapTop actors Jo Seung-woo, Jo Jung-suk, Byun Yo-han and rocker Yoon Do-hyun from YB, have teamed up for the musical “Hedwig.”With a subtitle of “New-makeup,” the musical will be a new version of the original show.“Hedwig” is a musical about a rock band headed by a transgender singer named Hedwig, formerly Hansel, who has a female persona after a botched sex change operation.Since it was first staged in Korea in 2005, the Broadway musical has continued to wow audiences.Yoon will play Hedwig, seven years since he first took on the role in 2009. Jo Jung-suk will play the role for the first time in five years.It will be Byun’s first role as a musical actor.The musical will open on March 1 at Hongik University Art Center in Daehak-ro, Seoul.Dec 27, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
