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Actress Park Si-yeon, Philip Lee Deny Dating

Popular actress Park Si-yeon and model-turned-actor Philip Lee denied Thursday a report that they have been dating. A local sports daily reported that the two have been dating for about four months after becoming friends when they were cast together in a KBS2 TV drama in May. However, officials from their agencies denied the report, saying that the actors are just friends. ``We have said it's not true. They have not developed a romantic relationship, though they are close,'' said an official from the agency representing Lee. ``They have been getting together often, but they are not dating,'' an official from the agency representing Park said. Lee rose to stardom after playing Cheoro on MBC TV's ``Taewangsasinggi'' (The Four Guardian Gods of the King) in 2008. Park, a runner-up at the 2000 Miss Korea pageant, has appeared in a number of TV dramas and movies, including ``Marine Boy,'' and ``Dachimawa Lee.'' chojh@koreatimes.co.kr

Nov 26, 2009

Will Yoo Jae-suk Quit Family Outing Show?

Yoo Jae-suk, the nation's most popular comedian and TV presenter, will reportedly bow out of several TV variety shows he has been hosting for years amid declining viewer rates. Yoo, dubbed as ``emcee of the nation,'' will not extend his contract with SBS TV for its ``Family Outing'' variety show, a local daily reported. His contract expires in January. However, an SBS representative said that nothing had been decided yet. ``It's true that Yoo has talked with the SBS staff about an extension of the contract. But nothing has been determined yet,'' the representative was quoted as saying by another media source. Yoo has led the show since June, 2008, when the Sunday primetime program was launched. It has been rumored that he will also quit MBC TV's ``Infinite Challenge'' show. But this has been denied by the program director. Yoo, known as the most expensive entertainer, earned 940 million won ($783,000) from MBC last year, the largest amount among MBC entertainers. The viewer ratings of both ``Infinite Challenge'' and ``Family Outing'' have been sliding recently,

Nov 26, 2009

Park Dong-ho Picked to Head Sejong Center

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Park Dong-ho, vice president of CJ Group, has been designated as the new president of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Seoul City said Wednesday. He will succeed Lee Chung-sung, 64, who resigned from the post for personal reasons last month. Park, 53, entered CJ in 1980 and has worked at the food, culture and arts company for the last 30 years. He has led CJ CGV, CJ Entertainment and CJ Foodville as CEO. ``His experience in such posts is expected to help him in contributing to the local performing arts scene,'' Seoul City said in a statement. CJ Group, the country's largest food maker, has CJ Entertainment, CJ CGV and CJ Investment and Securities under its arm. Seoul City added that he had adequate capabilities to head one of the biggest performance venues, having worked as a guest assistant professor in the Movie Industry department at Myongji University and also a professor at the graduate schools of journalism at Hanyang and Hongik universities. He is currently teaching marketing at Seo Kyeong University. Park wi

Nov 26, 2009

Comedian Lee Loses Eyesight to Disease

Comedian Lee Dong-woo, 39, said he has become nearly blind due to a rare, hereditary disease that causes the red photoreceptors in the retina to gradually degenerate. Appearing on a KBS 2TV program, Lee said he had been suffering from a disease called retinitis pigmentosa (RP) for the past five years. "I have virtually lost my eyesight and must always be accompanied by a guide when going outside," Lee said. "I got the disease less than three months after my marriage. My wife gave birth to our daughter and I'm worried that it might be hereditary." Lee said he had kept the infliction a secret, even from his mother, for two years. He said he also became depressed after being diagnosed with the disease. "I have lived as a TV personality for my whole life and I have been afraid of being sacked as a result of disclosing my condition," he said. "But now it's okay. I just want to do something for those who are suffering from blindness." chojh@koreatimes.co.kr

Nov 26, 2009

Actress Kim Min-sun Changes Name to Gyu-ri

Actress Kim Min-sun, 30, who was sued over comments she made regarding U.S. beef imports, has changed her first name to Gyu-ri and will act under the new name, her agency said Thursday. ``She recently changed her name to Kim Gyu-ri and received a new residential identification card under the new name,'' her agency TN Entertainment said. She has completed all legal procedures to make the change, it said. ``The new name is actually the one she has been called at home since her childhood,'' an agency official said. ``She will act under the new name going forward. It represents a new start for her.'' In May last year, she was at the center of dispute involving comments she made on her Web site, where she wrote that she'd ``rather drink potassium cyanide than eat U.S. beef and bones tainted with bovine spongiform encephalopathy virus.'' In August, A-Meat, a U.S. beef importer, filed a 300-million-won ($250,000) compensation suit with a Seoul court against the actress for allegedly misleading the public into a boycott of their products and damaging sales. chojh@koreati

Nov 26, 2009

Does Tiger Woods Cheat on Wife?

Rumors have been spreading rapidly on the Internet like a wildfire that golf czar Tiger Woods has a mistress concealed. Some have been paying keen attention in the Web site of mediatakeout.com. A large photo of the Woods couple is put on the site. The caption says, "Here's Tiger's wife… inside are pics of his alleged jumpup." The site also carries a sensational sentence in capital letters, "Explosive rumor: Tiger Woods is allegedly cheating on his wife… and the sad part… his jumpup ain't even cuter than his wife!!" Furthermore, the rumors have it that the tabloid weekly "National Enquirer" would carry the scoop in the upcoming edition. Tiger Woods, 33, is an undisputed top star in the world. He has also been regarded as a "gentleman" without a little bit of scandal in his private life. Woods also is one of wealthiest sportsman, earning an estimated $100 million in total since he made his debut in the pro golf. But his marriage life has no sign of discord with his wife, according to reports. With two daughters from a marriage to Elin Nordegren, 29, he even watc

Nov 26, 2009

Will Ninja Open More Doors for Rain?

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter Korean top singer and actor Rain is drawing keen attention from CNN, MTV and other international media as "Ninja Assassin" barrels into theaters on Wednesday in the United States and on Thursday in Korea. They are introducing Rain and the movie ― in which he plays Raizo, a revenge-seeking ninja ― on their Web sites in a largely positive tone. Rain, a household name in Asia, has yet to break into the American mainstream and hopes the film will become a vehicle to penetrate the American market. "It's hard to even walk in streets in Asia," Rain told MTV News. "I hope it'll be the same [in America]. Raizo is very sexy. I love my character." Rain picked the climatic final sequence as one of his favorite scenes. "They were real flames!" said Rain. "There were no wires and no camera tricks." If there is a sequel, could he go through the same six months of nonstop training it took to get into fighting shape? "I'll think about it," laughed the star. "You know what? It was so painful!" "'Ninja Assassin' has a key advantage in appealing to ma

Nov 25, 2009

Daul Kim Apparently Committed Suicide, Says Agency

By Cho Jae-hyon Staff Reporter Esteem Model's, a Seoul-based agency for the late model Daul Kim, announced Tuesday that it appears she committed suicide due to the pressures of her work, in a move to silence speculation surrounding her death. ``Kim apparently took her own life at her home in Paris on Nov. 19,''the agency said. On the reasons for her suicide, it said, ``As a model, painter, writer and filmmaker, she started her artistic works at a very young age, and she must have been anxious about the rest of her life after all these accomplishments. In addition, she was not able to live the normal life other girls did at her age. We suspect she felt confused and lost, after experiencing the gap between reality and anticipation after she reached the top in her career. We assume that she didn't want to show a slide after reaching the top.'' Her agency said it was speaking up to silence all speculation surrounding her demise. Speculation Lingers However, some international media reported that there have been concerns that her death may not have been suicide, with su

Nov 25, 2009

Yonsama Expands Food Chain in Japan

By Lee Hyo-won Staff Reporter Hallyu superstar Bae Yong-joon, who has been actively promoting Korean food and culture recently, will open the third outlet of his Korean food chain in Japan, Friday. The ``Winter Sonata'' hero will launch Goshire Gun in the basement of Seibu Department Store in Tokyo. The store will sell Korean dishes including salads, ``ssambab'' (lettuce wraps) and ``juk'' (porridge), among others. In 2006 the actor, affectionately called ``Yonsama'' by Japanese fans, opened Goshire, a traditional Korean restaurant, in Shirogane, Tokyo. Last year he launched a traditional Korean bar, Goshire Hwa, in Nagoya. Bae also has Korean lunchboxes, called Goshire Bento, being sold in major Japanese convenience stores. Featuring 16 dishes from Korea's ancient Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) such as ``bulgogi'' and kimchi, the lunch sets sell at 2,500 yen (about $26), the highest that any lunchbox has been priced in Japan. He also has a successful restaurant business in Korea. Gorilla in the Kitchen, located near Dosan Park, Sinsa-dong, is popular among young

Nov 25, 2009

Boyle’s Album Smash Hit

Susan Boyle's new album ``I Dreamed A Dream'' looks set to shift up to 150,000 copies on the first day of its release on Monday, the Daily Telegraph reported, quoting a store. HMV said initial sales from the chain and other entertainment retailers suggested Boyle's debut album has been selling an amount that most major new albums would typically sell in a week. The figure includes massive online pre-orders that have been placed by customers over the past few weeks. HMV is revising its estimate for total weekly sales upwards, from the 300,000 that the retailer initially projected, to a figure closer to 400,000. This would make the album the biggest and fastest-selling release of 2009. The sales would be comparable to those of Take That's ``The Circus'' in December last year, which sold 432,490 copies in its week of release. The chain reported that sales are particularly huge in Scotland, where some customers are snapping up multiple copies. HMV is now also predicting that the album will be the Christmas number one. The store's Gennaro Castaldo said: ''T

Nov 24, 2009
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