Liam Neeson and Shaquille O'Neal coming to Korea Irish actor Liam Neeson has signed to star in the Korean movie “Battle of Incheon.”Neeeson will play General Douglas MacArthur.Initially Korean producers were going to make the film in the U.S, where Neeson lives.But Neeson wanted make the film in Korea.On a different note, basketball superstar Shaquille O’Neal is also coming to Korea to star in “Off to School.”Aug 13, 2015
Hallyu couple call it a day Yoona of Girls' GenerationHot hallyu couple Girls’ Generation’s Yoona and singer/actor Lee Seung-gi are no longer dating, reports say.Lee, 28, and Yoona, 25, who were together for 19 months, reportedly were too busy with their demanding schedules to keep up the romance.Lee’s agency Hook Entertainment and Yoona’s agency SM Entertainment both said that the two parted on amicable terms.Lee Seung-giThe two confirmed they were dating on New Year’s Day in 2014.In addition to her Girls’ Generation activities, Yoona has been filming a Chinese drama this year.Lee was working on the film “Love Forecast,”and recently signed to join a new entertainment program for a cable channel.Aug 13, 2015
Rain's Chinese drama gains popularity Singer/Actor RainRain’s Chinese television drama “Diamond Lover” has recorded 3.3 billion clicks to date, Cube Entertainment said Thursday.A Chinese ranking agency, VLinkage, showed that “Diamond Lover,” which started airing in China on July 22, topped eight online streaming sites.The drama is a 68-part series, for which 42 episodes have been produced.Rain stars as a CEO of the world’s top diamond company, a perfectionist at work who is sweet when it comes to love. Rain also sings the title song for the drama, for which he wrote the music and lyrics.Meanwhile, Rain’s girlfriend Kim Tae-hee is starring in a Korean drama airing Wednesdays and Thursdays on SBS titled “Yong-pal.”Aug 13, 2015
Song Seung-heon 'proposes' to Liu Yifei / Screen capture from Liu Yifei WeiboActor Song Seung-heon, 39, and Liu Yifei appeared together publicly for the first time since admitting they are dating.They appeared on Chinese variety show “Slowly Improving” on Hunan TV on Wednesday to promote the new movie, “The Third Love,” which they starred in together.During the show, Song told Liu that “I am not a selfish person, but you make me want you.”Previously, Song’s management company announced their relationship, saying “They just began the relationship and are getting to know each other.”The next day Liu wrote on her Weibo, “I have a lot to say, but I will simply say ♥♥ for now.” Aug 13, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Veteran actresses experiment with characters Actress Kim Hee-ae in a scene from the SBS drama “Mrs. Cop” / Courtesy of SBSActress Kim Tae-hee in a scene from the SBS drama “Yong-pal” / Courtesy of SBSBy Kwon Ji-younActresses in their 30s and 40s are dominating the small screen and turning heads with new acting challenges.Kim Hee-ae, Kim Tae-hee and Song Yun-ah have made television comebacks in suspenseful dramas rather than the romantic ones where they found fame. The characters they are portraying are not the usual stereotypes either.Kim Hee-ae, 48, has gone from portraying a romantic pianist in “Secret Love Affair” to playing a cop. In SBS’s new drama “Mrs. Cop,” Kim is a veteran police officer and working mom, a change from the elegant roles viewers are used to seeing her in. Kim is experimenting with the character she plays and has mastered action scenes. Her portrayal of a distressed working mom, who often finds herself torn between her child and her job, is also very convincing. “Mrs. Cop” airs Monday and Tuesday nights.Kim Tae-hee, 35, meanwhile Aug 12, 2015
Basick gets a contract Recently discovered rapper Basick has signed an exclusive contract with Rainbow Bridge World (RBW), Yonhap reports.Basick recently found fame as an exceptional rapper on “Show Me the Money 4,” a rap competition program produced by Mnet.RBW said it would support Basick to help him reach his full potential.Other RBW artists include girl group “MAMAMOO.”Aug 12, 2015
'Veteran' invited to Toronto film festival Poster for the film 'Veteran'The action film "Veteran" has been invited to screen in the non-competition category of the Toronto International Film Festival, its distributor said Wednesday.Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, and starring Hwang Jung-min and Yoo Ah-in, the movie will be shown in the "Vanguard" category for innovative filmmakers, CJ Entertainment said.The annual festival will run in the Canadian city from Sept. 10-20.“Veteran” was chosen for its approach to criticizing the privileged class and various elements of entertainment.The film is about a veteran detective who stands up against an arrogant and cruel heir of a rich family as the detective delves into the mysterious death of a truck driver.Since its Aug. 5 release, the movie has attracted about 3.6 million viewers in local theaters. It is scheduled to open in Vietnam on Aug. 28 and in India on Sept. 9. Aug 12, 2015
Novelist files compensation suit against “Assassination” Choi Dong-hoon, director of "Assassination" / Korea Times fileBy Bahk Eun-ji The star-studded Korean action film “Assassination” is embroiled in a lawsuit with a novelist who claims the movie plagiarized his novel.Choi Jong-rim, author of “Korean Memories,” published in 2002, has filed a 10 billion won compensation suit against film director Choi Dong-hoon, Show Box, a distributor and Caper Film, the company that produced “Assassination."Earlier this month, the novelist claimed that a large part of the film’s plot and characters were similar to his novel. The novelist also applied for a court injunction to stop the distributors screening the film. The application will be dealt with on Thursday.The novelist, 64, insists that the main female character in “Assassination” is a sniper just like in “Korean Memories." Caper Film said it would take strong countermeasures against the novelist, claiming the female sniper in the leading role, which is Choi’s main argument could not be seen as a point of plagiarism because theAug 12, 2015By Bahk Eun-ji
Seo Taiji to sing out on Liberation Day Singer Seo TaijiIt does not have to be all solemn on the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation, which falls on Saturday.Top singer Seo Taiji has announced he will perform Saturday and Sunday at Yes24.com’s Muvhall in Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, near the Hongik University neighborhood.Seo recently performed at the Pentaport Rock Festival in Songdo, Incheon.The former leader of Seo Taiji & the Boys released his ninth album last year, “Quiet Night,” proving he still reigns in Korean music. Aug 12, 2015By Kim Ji-soo
Jang Na-ra uninjured in car accident Jang Na-raSinger and actress Jang Na-ra, 34, escaped injury in a car accident Tuesday.The actress was on her way to film the last episode of her drama, “Hello Monster” (also known as “I Remember You”). Jang’s official website said another car hit hers around 1a.m. at an intersection in Yongin. “Jang is left uninjured and just having minor neck pain,” her agency said. It said she would go to hospital after filming.Meanwhile, Jang posted on her Twitter: “Fortunately, I’m alright. Don’t worry since it’s just a minor pain.”Aug 11, 2015
