'Overweight' Shin Mina scales heights in TV drama Shin Mina put on special body make-up to play a lawyer heavier than what she weighs in KBS TV drama "Oh My Venus." / Screen capture from YouTubeActress Shin Mina, also a fashion model, has seemingly defied her latter profession to play an overweight woman in the new KBS TV drama “Oh My Venus.” Shin, 32, stars as Kang Joo-eun, a lawyer who used to have an enviable face and physique when she was a student but became fat during 15 years of studying.Shin uses special body make-up for the part, which is said to be based on the traditional “plump” image of the Roman goddess Venus. The gimmick caught the interest of viewers on Monday, making the first episode a big hit.The drama starts with Kang being miserable after her boyfriend betrays their 15-year romance by seeing someone else. She then decides to lose weight with the help of popular health trainer John Kim (So Ji-sub).Nov 17, 2015
AOA gets hosting gig on SNL Korea AOA /Courtesy of FNC EntertainmentK-pop band AOA will host the Korean version of Saturday Night Life (SNL) next week, My Daily reported Tuesday.But band member Seolhyun’s appearance has not been decided due to her schedule, FNC Entertainment said.Seolhyun has been shooting a film, “A Murderer’s Guide to Memorization.” She also is one of the busiest band members, appearing in ads for a cell phone and serving as goodwill ambassador to promote travel to Korea.AOA made special guest appearances on the show last year.AOA debuted with eight members _ Choa, Jimin, Yuna, Youkyung, Chnami, Hyejeong, Seolhyun and Mina _ in 2012.The band rose to stardom with hit songs “Miniskirt” and “Like a Cat” in 2014.The show airs on Nov. 28.Nov 17, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Han Chae-young stars in Chinese drama Han Chae-young /Korea Times fileActress Han Chae-young, 35, will star in a Chinese TV drama that will air next year via Tencent TV.“The Rebirth of Celebrities Star” is based on a Chinese novel.Han plays a woman who becomes a world star after overcoming a shadowy past.Han debuted with popular drama “Autumn Fairy Tale” in 2000 and rose to stardom with romantic comedy-drama “Sassy Girl Chun-hyang” in 2005.The actress married a Korean-American businessman in 2007 and had a son in 2013. Nov 17, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Actor Lee Jung-jae in legal dispute over mother's debt Lee Jung-jae /Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-jiActor Lee Jung-jae and his mother are embroiled in a legal dispute over money she allegedly borrowed from a friend.Lee’s mother allegedly borrowed 193 million won ($165,000) from 1995 to early 2000 from her friend, whose name was withheld.The friend asked Lee’s mother to repay 249 million won, including interest, in August 2000, but his mother had left for Los Angeles.Lee repaid 60 million won soon after he received a call from the woman, and Lee’s mother gave a written promise to repay the rest.The woman sued Lee’s mother for fraud in April 2005, and Lee appeared at the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office and asked her to drop the case because he would repay the money on behalf of his mother.Lee’s mother sent 1 million won then, but Lee and his mother had allegedly neither repaid the rest of the money, nor contacted the woman after that.She requested the prosecution for a payment order against Lee in April, and the trial is in progress.Lee released a statement Tuesday, saying he and his mother had repaid aNov 17, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Jin Se-yeon to play heroine /Screen capture from InstagramActress Jin Se-yeon will star in a new historical drama, “The Flower in Prison,” which will begin airing next March, two years after she finished the 2014 SBS drama “Doctor Stranger.”Actor Go Soo is under consideration as the male lead opposite Jin, BH Entertainment said Tuesday.The new drama, to air on MBC on weekends at 10 p.m., is about lawyers in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Jin will take the role of Ongnyeo (Lee Su-won) who helps the falsely accused.Lee Byung-hoon, a popular producer known for “Hur Jun” (1999) and “Sangdo” (2001), will direct the drama.Nov 17, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
iKON sweeps K-pop music charts /Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBoy band iKON has swept K-pop music charts with its songs “Anthem” and “Apology,” released on Monday.The two songs are placed first and second on seven music charts _ Melon, Olleh Music, Bugs, Genie, Naver Music, Monkey 3 and Soribada.iKON will release an album including the two songs on Dec. 14. Nov 16, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
'Reply 1988' draws big response A scene from the third episode of “Reply 1988” / Courtesy of tvNBy Kwon Ji-younThey say a sequel is never as good as the original, but “Reply 1988” is once again the talk of the town.The fourth episode of tvN’s Friday-Saturday drama series recorded an all-time high viewership of 8.7 percent, peaking at 10 percent Saturday. It put a lid on worries that the spin-off, the third in the “Reply” series, would not fulfill expectations and that Girl’s Day member Hye-ri, making her lead-role debut, would not deliver.Hye-ri plays the role of Seong Deok-seon who lives in Ssangmun-dong, where she and four male friends grow up together before she marries one of them. Singling out the husband, whose identity is still under wraps, has been a central part of each of the “Reply” series.Hye-ri is a convincing Deok-seon, second daughter of Seong Dong-il, a banker with a huge debt, and Lee Il-hwa, a loquacious housewife. Her ill-tempered older sister is a student at Seoul National University, and the two can’t stand each other. Deok-seon&Nov 16, 2015
Yoo Hae-jin, Yoona, Hyun Bin to star in action movie /Korea Times fileActor Yoo Hae-jin and Yoona of K-pop band Girls’ Generation will star in an action movie temporarily titled “Cooperation,” Star News reported Monday.The film is about secret cooperative investigation between North and South Korea. Actor Hyun Bin will play a North Korean investigator, and Yoo will play the South Korean investigator.Yoona will play Yoo’s sister-in-law.The JK Film production has a 10 billion won ($8,520,000) budget.JK Film produced “Ode to My Father,” which attracted 14 million viewers in Korea last year. Nov 16, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
BoA to break hallyu silence in Japan BoA Singer BoA is about to break the four-year silence of hallyu singers at Japan’s major annual music festivals.She has been invited to perform at the 2015 FNS Music Festival hosted by Fuji TV.Three major music festivals in Japan -- FNS Music Festival and those hosted by NHK and Yomiuri TV -- have not invited Korean singers since 2011, even though Koreans have topped the Oricon music charts.Koreans have not been invited because of tension over Japan’s refusal to admit its sex slavery of Korean women during the World War II.SM Entertainment said BoA would participate in the festival on Dec. 2, when about 70 Japanese artists will perform.Korean singer “K”, active in the J-pop market, will also perform.In 2011, hallyu bands Girls’ Generation, KARA, TVXQ and 2NE1 were invited to the three festivals.BoA was invited to major Japanese music festivals every year from 2002-2007.She made her debut in the J-pop market a year after her Korean debut in 2000, and she has had numerous No.1 hits in Japan.She will release her new Japanese single “Lookbook&rdqNov 16, 2015
Turbo to rev up again /Courtesy of Maroo EntertainmentFirst generation K-pop dance duo Turbo will reunite 14 years after the double act disbanded.Kim Jong-kuk, Mikey and former member Kim Jung-nam led the K-pop dance music trend in the 1990s.The band will release a new album in December. Popular producer Double Sidekick has been working on the album.The duo made its debut in 1995 with the Kim Jong-kook and Kim Jung-nam. Mikey joined after Kim Jung-nam dropped out in 1997. The duo disbanded in 2001.Kim Jong-kook has been singing solo and has appeared on TV shows such as “Running Man,” and “Happy Together.”Nov 16, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
