Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Song Hye-kyo to Become Producer in New Drama

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Actress Song Hye-kyo will return to the small screen as an up and coming producer in KBS' new drama ``Worlds Within'' produced by Pyo Min0su and written by Noh Hee-kyeong. ``When I finished filming `Full House' with producer Pyo four years ago, we promised to work together with writer Noh. I was their fan and so I had no reason to say no,'' Song said during an interview with Yonhap News Agency. ``Worlds Within'' depicts the story of producers who work in a broadcast company. Her costar Hyun Bin will also appear as a fellow producer. The drama brings the two actors together as fellow students, colleagues and eventually, lovers. ``I liked that it wasn't a Cinderella story many people dream about. It's different from previous melodramas. Scenes that may really happen in our daily lives happen in the drama,'' she said. After appearing in the hit drama ``Full House'' with singer/actor Rain in 2004, she mainly worked on the big screen, appearing in two movies. She has also been active in commercial ads, both here and abroad. Her popularity

Oct 12, 2008

Gov’t Hosts Mass Wedding for Multi-Racial Couples

By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter On Saturday morning when the sky was a bright crystal blue and bright sunshine warmed up the ground, the Olympic Park in southern Seoul saw 200 brides and grooms in neat black tuxedos and white wedding dresses. Half of them were different in appearance from locals and spoke Korean a little haltingly, but their shy smiles were no different from other Korean couples on the verge of walking down the aisle. The Ministry of Justice hosted the joint wedding at the park's 88 Lawn Field for 100 Korean-foreigner couples, whose wedding ceremonies had been delayed due to financial hardship. This is the first event of this kind hosted by the government. The event, dubbed ``Together Festival,'' was to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean government as well as to show the Korean government is ready to embrace a multiracial family. ``I, together with the Korean public, offer my sincerest congratulations on your wedding,'' said Prima Minister and wedding officiator Han Seung-soo. ``You are an important constituency of Korea, and also member

Oct 12, 2008

Peace Corps Volunteers Make Homecoming Trip

By Kim Se-jeong Staff Reporter Charles Goldberg, 64, feels at home in Korea, where he once lived for three years in the 1960s, and remembers nearly everything of his time here, including the Korean language. A homecoming trip, organized for Peace Corps volunteers by the Korean government, was a great opportunity for him to express his love for Korea, his second home; and to showoff his well-polished Korean, which actually astonished many Korean native speakers who heard him speak. About 40 volunteers and 20 family members participated in the trip. During an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Monday, Goldberg, one of the first Peace Corps volunteers dispatched to Korea, dug deep down into his well-kept memories of Korea. He came to Korea as a volunteer in 1966. At a time when a tall, big guy with different looks was scarce in villages like Gongju in South Chungcheong Province, his presence was the talk of the town and he became a subject of curiosity, he recalled. ``They looked at me like a big bug,'' he said in Korean. The 22-year-old taught English at G

Oct 7, 2008

Song Hye-kyo Unveils US Indie Film in Busan

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia Staff Reporter Hallyu star Song Hye-kyo unveiled her new movie ``Make Yourself at Home,'' at the 13th Pusan (Busan) International Film Festival over the weekend. Song, one of the best known Korean actresses in Asia, surprised many when she chose to work on an independent film by first-time Korean-American director Sohn Soo-pum. ``The film is not necessarily a Hollywood debut for me, rather it is an independent American movie," Song said, Sunday in Busan. ``I was very comfortable acting because I was working with people who loved movies.'' A joint U.S.-Korea production, ``Make Yourself at Home'' is described as a psychological thriller about a woman shaman Sook-hee, who chooses to live an ordinary life in the United States. She marries a Korean-American named Peter, played by Arno Frisch. Song's character in the film is something of a femme fatale, a role that is new to the actress who has played mostly sweet, innocent characters in popular Korean dramas like ``Full House'' and ``All In.'' ``The role was a challenge because it is a char

Oct 6, 2008

Singer Kimera Back Home After 20 Years

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Popera singer Kimera, 54, has been appointed as the goodwill ambassador of the 2008 Korean Festival, organized by the Overseas Koreans Foundation, to uphold the spirit of Koreans living worldwide. Famous for her flashy eye makeup and costumes, the singer appeared at the press conference Friday, dressed in an ivory suit, complete with a matching hat. It is the singer's first visit to her homeland in almost 20 years. ``I'm not very good at talking to the press or doing interviews,'' she said laughing. She continued by saying that she was always proud of being Korean and there was no moment in her life that she wanted to change her nationality. ``When I was offered the position as ambassador, I asked myself, `was I too ignorant of my homeland?' I realized I haven't done much for my country and now I will change that by singing and performing,'' she said. Kimera is known to be the one of the first singers to have come up with the new music style ``popera,'' which infuses the elements of pop music with opera. Having a voice range of fou

Oct 3, 2008

Grass Is Not Always Greener for TV Celebs

By Bae Ji-sook Staff Reporter The suspected suicide of top actress Choi Jin-sil has driven the nation into shock. Behind her ever-cheerful image and smile lies the dark side of a star who captured the hearts of Koreans for two decades. Choi was the fifth icon of the entertainment industry to commit suicide since 2007. Singer Yuni, TV actress Jeong Da-bin, actor Yeo Jae-gu and Ahn Jae-hwan also killed themselves. Their deaths highlight the darker side of the show biz world. Dr. Hong Jin-pyo of Asan Medical Center assumed that there must have been multiple factors in Choi's suicide. ``She may have been physically exhausted, couldn't stand the rumors that she had joined hands with loan sharks to get back a loan from Ahn Jae-hwan, who had committed suicide.'' In fact, many of Choi's friends said she had been haunted by such rumors for a long time and was under pressure. A singer, who identified herself as a suicide attempter, recently appeared on a TV program and said most of her coworkers suffer from anxiety and loneliness. ``You are always under the watchful public ey

Oct 2, 2008

From Ad Star to Celeb-Mom

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter The late actress Choi Jin-sil, 40, was a quintessential star whose girl-next-door image had once elevated her to Korean sweetheart status. Born Dec. 24, 1968, she came into the spotlight in the late 1980s. She got her television break in 1988 by appearing in the drama ``The Joseon Kingdom; 500 Years.'' With her famed image, Choi also reigned as the ``queen of commercials'' through most of the 1980s. The famous quip in an ad ― delivered with a trademark smile ― ``Men, they all depend on how women fashion them'' is remembered as one of the most famous moments in the actress's career. Her major break came with the television drama ``Jealousy'' (1992), in which she starred with fellow actor Choi Su-jong. They are still considered one of the most memorable screen couples in Korean drama history. ``Jealousy'' provided a platform for her career, guiding her on her way to becoming one of Korea's sweethearts; or the top Korean sweetheart. She went on to pursue her acting career by working in dramas and finally took the next step into movies.

Oct 2, 2008

Father of Former President Kim Young-sam Dies at 97

By Michael Ha Staff Reporter Kim Hong-jo, the father of former President Kim Young-sam, died in Masan, South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. He was 97. The late Kim gave unconditional and unwavering support to his son's political career from 1954 when he was first elected as a National Assemblyman, an aide to the former President said. Some political observers have remarked that former Kim Young-sam may not have been able to stay in politics as long as he had and, indeed, may not have been able to win the presidency without his father's support. Kim has been keenly aware of his father's help during his turbulent political career and has often expressed his appreciation, they said. He has been close to his father and spoke with him over the phone almost on a daily basis even while serving as President, his aide said. Kim, the country's 14th President, was inaugurated in 1993 and served a single five-year term. He is credited with presiding over a nationwide anti-corruption campaign and the prosecution of his two predecessors, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, on char

Sep 30, 2008

Imagination is Key: Choy

By Han Sang-hee Staff Reporter Feature length movies can touch the heart, while documentaries capture life in its grim reality. Documentary film director Christine Choy's work offers both: the ringing of emotion that can be found in the everyday lives of ordinary people. The Korea Times met the 55-year-old director at her hotel in southern Seoul, where she was staying during her visit to chair the jury at the Educational Broadcasting System's (EBS) International Documentary Festival which ended last Sunday. ``Festivals like this help (the documentary market) a great deal. The audience needs to be developed. Once you cultivate a quality group of audience, this group can cultivate others,'' said Choy. Choy, whose father is Korean, grew up in China and Korea, before moving to the United States to study architecture, and eventually becoming a documentary filmmaker. Former chairwoman of the Graduate Film and Television Department at New York University, she was nominated for an Academy Award in 1989 for Best Documentary with ``Who Killed Vincent Chin.'' She is currently a p

Sep 30, 2008

Moon Moo-hong Named Chairman of Inter-Korean Industrial Park Committee

By Kim Sue-young Staff Reporter Moon Moo-hong, the former director of unification policy at the now-defunct Board of National Unification, was named chairman of the management committee for the inter-Korean industrial complex in Gaeseong, North Korea, the Ministry of Unification said Monday. The committee essentially operates the complex with its North Korean counterpart. Moon, 61, will concurrently serve as chief director of the Gaesong Industrial District Management Committee which gives assistance to companies in the industrial park. Moon served as presidential press secretary during the Chun Doo-hwan administration and worked at the unification board, the predecessor of the ministry, during the Kim Young-sam administration. He worked as vice chief delegate to multilateral talks to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue between 1997 and 1998. ksy@koreatimes.co.kr

Sep 29, 2008

People & Events

People & Events

Song Hye-kyo to Become Producer in New Drama

Gov’t Hosts Mass Wedding for Multi-Racial Couples

Peace Corps Volunteers Make Homecoming Trip

Song Hye-kyo Unveils US Indie Film in Busan

Singer Kimera Back Home After 20 Years

Grass Is Not Always Greener for TV Celebs

From Ad Star to Celeb-Mom

Father of Former President Kim Young-sam Dies at 97

Imagination is Key: Choy

Moon Moo-hong Named Chairman of Inter-Korean Industrial Park Committee

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