Korean Weekly News - 12/12

FILM NEWS

It's been in pre-production for what seems like forever, but Ahn Byung-Gi's new film 아파트 (A.P.T.) has finally cast its main leading lady, and it's a big surprise: Go So-Young. The film, adapted from a manhwa by Kangpul (real name Kang Do-Young, one of the most popular manhwa artists in the country), is a horror about a chain of serial murders always happening at the same time, 9:56. Ahn directed 가위 (Nightmare), 폰 (Phone) and 분신사바 (Bunshinsaba), making him one of the top horror directors in the country and abroad. This is Go's first role since 2003's political thriller 이중간첩 (Double Agent). The film, which will start shooting around January and already signed US$ 3 Million's worth of distribution contracts at the recent Cannes Film Market, will debut (guess when?) next Summer.

One of the small but pleasant attractions of the upcoming blockbuster 태풍 (Typhoon) has been revealed. No, it's not special effects or huge action pieces, but simply the fact Shin Sung-Il will appear in the film with a cameo. Shin, the biggest star in Korean Cinema for decades (spanning from the 60s to the early 80s), plays the Korean president (Ahn Sung-Gi wasn't available, I guess?) in the very brief scene, and makes his return to the big screen after 1998's 까 (Naked Being). He won the 'Most Popular' award at the Blue Dragon Awards for ten consecutive years (1963~1973), and has been in hundreds of films. 'Typhoon' debuts on December 14.

We talked a little about the controversy surrounding Sung Hyun-Ah's latest film 애인 (The Intimate), but after reading reviews (mostly negative, some even offensively complacent about Sung's nudity in the film), Sung came to a very quick conclusion: she's not going to shoot any more nude scenes in the future, since people have been misunderstanding her intentions. A few months ago, seeing the Trailers and Previews of the film, people started complaining that Sung might be pushing sex to further her career, which angered the star. Not only people criticized her, but even the production company asked her not to talk about the film, which made things even more surreal. Sources close to the actress commented that, more than remembering the good time she had shooting the film, she's starting to feel regretful about participating in the film at all. She even openly expresses she'd like to delete some of the (very explicit) scenes in the film.

PR reps of the production company were interviewed, saying that they asked her not to promote the film anymore, because she was pushing a melodrama as some sort of erotic drama, all on her own. She even asked to remove her nude scenes, which was "a meaningless behavior for an actor to display." What did Sung have to say about that? Sources close to Sung said: "Both the producers and marketing people are hypocrites. When shooting the poster for the film, they asked her more provocative and revealing poses, even though she was uncomfortable about that. They misunderstood the way she presented the film, and even though actors are a kind of 'object', depending on how you present that object, you could have an influence on the people behind it. They went around saying it's not a skin flick but a melodrama, then they show all the nude scenes to the public on the website, and all the marketing team seems to be talking about is sex and nudity." In this atmosphere of mutual understanding and co-operation, 'The Intimate' debuted in theaters on December 8.

After casting what is arguably the hottest real life couple in Chungmuro -- Jo Seung-Woo and Kang Hye-Jung -- Kang Ji-Eun's 도마뱀 (Lizard) just added an important piece of the puzzle, casting veteran Kang Shin-Il as Jo Seung-Woo's father, an easygoing sushi-bar owner. Theater-trained Kang is one of Kang Woo-Suk's most trusted regulars, and one of the most underrated actors in the entire country. He starred in countless TV Dramas and films, with often small but memorable roles, last but not least his turn in the action noir 미스터 소크라테스 (Mr. Socrates). 'Lizard' completed around 60% of its shoot, and will release next Spring.

You spend a few Billion Won on marketing, tons more on production, but then you have to split the pie with multiplex chains. But, unlike in places like Hollywood, Korean distribution companies and multiplex chains split the income evenly, 50-50. That is likely to change soon though, as a group of film investors, producers, directors and film professionals had a press meeting, requesting the adjustment of the current deal, giving 60% to distribution companies and 40% to theater owners. Choi Wan of IM Pictures commented: "So far only production companies complained about the issue, but this time we involved investors and film professionals as well, since this is a structural problem. Korean films might be shining overseas, but the reality is that there are several internal wars raging at the moment, about structural problems with production and in terms of distribution. There's also problems with additional copyrights, illegal downloading, and more, so that's why we're here today.

Kim Hyung-Joon of Hanmac Films said: "The biggest problem is that there's a difference between foreign and Korean films when it comes to commissions ratio: Korean films get 40%, foreign 50% of income. Multiplex chains that are making discount promotions without consulting with production companies is also a problem. It just gives additional pressure on production companies, without their consent." Finally, President Shim Jae-Myung: "The average profit of today's Korean movies has changed a lot in the last few years, just like their market share. But there's still a big problem when you compare the average market share of Korean films with profits generated for production companies, as the sharing structure is irrationally skewed. For the future of Korean films, we should solve those important problems."

There's no more screens! That's probably the reaction of your average Korean or foreign film not named 'King Kong' or 'Typhoon', trying to book venues to make some money. But it looks like until the New Year small films will have a really hard time finding space. Consider this: there's about 1,450 screens in Korea, and Kwak Kyung-Taek's film alone took over 500. This is the highest number of screens for a single Korean film ever, beating by a large margin 태극기 휘날리며 (Taegukgi)'s 452, 웰컴 투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol)'s 450, and 친절한 금자씨 (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance)'s 430. Add to that Peter Jackson's blockbuster and its 420 screens, along with the remaining 200 screens for the latest Harry Potter, and you'll get the full picture. More than 2/3 of the country's screens will be occupied by a mere three films. So who will get those remaining 300 or so screens? The Son Ye-Jin/Song Il-Guk sexy comedy 작업의 정석 (The Art of Seduction), the melodrama 파랑주의보 (My Girl & I), and the remaining few screens held by current hit 광식이 동생 광태 (When Romance Meets Destiny). So, it's mid December, and you don't care about blockbusters? The answer of Korean theater owners is... stay home. There's nothing else to watch.

TV DRAMA NEWS

Ladies and Gents, we're officially in hell. Connoisseurs of the K-pop microcosmos are probably familiar with uber-creepy teenybopper band 동방신기 (a.k.a. Dong Bang Shin Gi/DBSG/TVXQ!, the 'Gods from the East' who look like a bunch of teenagers rejected by a Visual Kei band audition). Well, guess what... they're making a TV Drama starring the entire group. SBS (who else...) is plans to air the show early next year. Usually popular singers would make a quick cameo on a few TV Dramas or sitcoms to taste the acting game, then maybe get a shot with a big leading role, the most recent examples being singer Rain and former S.E.S. member Eugene. But using SBS' criteria, since two of the group's members -- no, I'm not telling you the names. Feeling embarrassed at 10 in the morning is not particularly exciting -- appeared on a few variety shows and showed their 'acting skills', they're ready to grace us with that come next year! Kim Tae-Sung of SBS said they're negotiating with DBSG's management SM Entertainment, and if everything goes well they'll start preparing for the show, which won't be a 'regular' TV Drama, but something much shorter and with a different format. SBS, if you didn't exist we should invent you...

With the cancelation of 내가 나빴다 (I Was Bad), MBC quickly raced to fix problems regarding their January slot. Previously slated for a March broadcast, the new Drama 궁 (Palace) has been moved to January, and the change will now affect production of the 20 Episodes show, helmed by Hwang In-Roi. Hwang commented that their original plan was to complete the entire show before broadcast and privately, as they were going to shoot until January, and do post-production in February, ahead of their March start. He said: "It's a shame, I wanted to do things on my own and finish everything before air date, something really rare in our country [most Dramas are shot on the fly, sometimes even a day before air date], but alas we couldn't. We're working hard to meet the deadline, though. Thankfully we already shot a good number of big scale scenes and foreign location shoots, so even though we have little time, we won't face problems of having to rush and fall into the usual traps such a situation almost forces you to make." Adapted from a popular manhwa, 'Palace' stars Yoon Eun-Hye, Ju Ji-Hoon and a host of other young stars (all lacking in experience and acting skills, honestly), all will start airing on January 11.

All good stories have an end, sadly. Shim Hye-Jin, who rejuvenated her career thanks to the cult sitcom 안녕, 프란체스카 (Hello Francesca) (a sort of Korean take on 'The Addams Family'), will have to leave the show, as her schedule is becoming increasingly harder to manage. 'Francesca' tells the story of a family of vampires from Romania who mistakenly land in Korea, and start living off a salaryman. It averaged ratings around 10% (quite good for a sitcom) for all its 3 seasons, but most importantly became a cult hit thanks to the power of the Internet, and eventually even landed on DVD (which all have no subs, sadly). But between Shim's new SBS Friday Drama 그여자 (That Woman) -- which is doing OK, with ratings around the 15% for its first few episodes -- the upcoming MBC Drama 'Palace', and her return to the big screen with Ahn Pan-Seok's 국경의 남쪽 (South of The Border), writers will have to find a way to get 'Francesca' out of the picture. But while I don't think the sitcom will have any problem (the 'vampire family' angle offers the opportunity of adding a lot of new and old members), this only means Shim Hye-Jin is back in the big picture after years of obscurity, which can only be a good thing.

Young up and comers Lee Wan (Kim Tae-Hee's brother) and Park Shin-Hye have been cast in the new drama 천국의 나무 (Heaven's Tree), written by Kim Nam-Hee and Moon Hee-Jung, and produced by Lee Jang-Soo, some of the biggest offenders in the industry when it comes to ultra-syrupy tearjerkers -- but Lee was also helmer of the excellent 별을 쏘다 (Shooting Stars) with Jeon Do-Yeon and Jo In-Sung. The 10 episodes show will be shot entirely in Japan, and will complete Lee's 'heaven trilogy', after 아름다운 날들 (Beautiful Days) and 천국의 계단 (Stairway To Heaven), both reaching impressive popularity in Japan and other Asian countries. Story is predictably typical: Korean daddy remarries with a Japanese wife, who happens to have a daughter, so... kill me now, brother and sister (only legally!) fall in love! Wow. That's like, the plot of 600 other TV Dramas counting the last 10 years only? Lee, who just like his sister hasn't shown even a minimum of acting skills to complement his pretty face, will play a young man with an innate talent for the arts. But, since this is a 'Korean Wave' Drama set in Japan, he'll have to do that in the Yakuza, which will probably create problems for his love story with our heroine. 'Heaven's Tree' will air on SBS next February, after the completion of 마이걸 (My Girl), with the lovely Lee Da-Hae.

Yoon Hae-Young will star in a MBC Drama for the first time in 6 years. The popular actress, whose last drama with the station was 1999's super hit 보고 또 보고 (Again and Again), will star in the upcoming Daily Drama 사랑은 아무도 못말려 (Nobody Can Stop Love), which starts early next month. Yoon will play Hong Kyung-Min's older sister in the show, someone lucky enough to become a writer thanks to a literary contest, but who's unemployed and hasn't been able to make a hit yet. 'Again and Again' recorded ratings of over 60% (those were the days...), rewriting the history of Daily Dramas in Korea. It recently was shown in China, achieving acclaim and popularity and allowing Yoon to receive calls from Chinese TV Drama producers. Her last appearance was in the recently concluded Friday Drama 다이아몬드의 눈물 (Tears of Diamond) on SBS. 'Nobody Can Stop Love' also cast Jo Yoon-Hee, who returns to the small screen after 백설공주 (Snow White), and was last seen in 태극기 휘날리며 (Taegukgi).

There was a rumour going around the net that Ha Ji-Won was going to star in Pyo Min-Soo's next Drama (supposedly the one he's been preparing after turning down the Im Jung-Ok written Drama with Go Hyun-Jung), but Well Made Entertainment, Ha's management, was quick to respond, denying such rumours. But she did receive the synopsis of the Drama, and it's very likely she'll make a comeback on the small screen pretty soon. Ha, who between doing charity work and buying shares of DVD companies starred in Lee Myung-Se's 형사 (Duelist), has been absent from TV since 2003's 발리에서 생긴 일 (What Happened In Bali), even though she had a little cameo appearance in 'Fashion Seventies'.

MBC recently announced that their current Drama 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy) would be cut down to 16 Episodes from 20, to start afresh in 2006 with the Eom Tae-Woong/Han Ji-Min/Moon Jung-Hyuk Drama 늑대 (Wolf) on January 2. The reason, more than the show's lower than expected ratings -- even though it's still one of the station's few decently rated shows -- was to leave the legacy of MBC's worst year ever (in terms of ratings) behind, and begin the year with new Dramas, which would hopefully bring a deserved breather for the station. But, thankfully, it was later revealed things will not change, and the show will have its planned conclusion after 20 episodes, ending on January 10. The show, written by real life couple Lee Seon-Mi and Kim Gi-Ho, stars Nam Sang-Mi, Dennis O'Neill and Lee Ju-Hyeon.

TV DRAMA WRAPUP

At the end of the year, besides taking a look at all the top hits of the year, and select winners of the 3 Million Award ceremonies that take place in Korea, people look at the new stars who were born in the TV emisphere. 2005 was no different, with all three stations allowing young faces to get a shot in the limelight, and scoring a homerun with it.

KBS had one of the best years in ages, with not only big hits, but also some excellent shows (and some really, really bad ones, but that's nothing new). Their Wed/Thu slot produced some of the best TV Dramas of the year, and allowed a few people to make big comebacks, like Choi Jin-Shil. But although a lot of new stars were made, the two most obvious choices are Kim Ah-Joong and Eom Tae-Woong. Kim debuted in the 2004 comedy 어깨동무 (Who's Got The Tape), then had a supporting role in the excellent Historical Drama 해신 (Emperor of the Sea). But it wasn't until 2005, when she started appearing all over TV, in variety shows like 해피 투게더 (Happy Together), Dramas, CF and more. She's currently one of the most popular young stars in Korea, with her recent Daily Drama 별난 여자 별난 남자 (Weird Man, Weird Woman) going over the 30% ratings for the last few weeks. Even her latest film 광식이 동생 관태 (When Romance Meets Destiny) has hit the 2 Million tickets sold, surprising just about everybody in the industry. Mixing natural beauty with a down-to-earth look, Kim still has a lot to learn, but she's already showing adequate acting skills, and seems to have the talent. A lot of people expect big things from the young star.

As for Eom Tae-Woong, 2005 has been a spectacular year. He started with a small but striking role in Kang Woo-Suk's 공공의 적 2 (Another Public Enemy), but his first shot as a leading star came by chance. Other big stars were supposed to lead the amazing 부활 (Rebirth), but schedules and refusals allowed him to play what so far has been the role of his life. Showing impressive range in the 'Doppelganger Thriller', Eom impressed enough industry people that he was instantly cast as a lead in 가족의 탄생 (The Birth of a Family), which has the potential to become one of the most interesting films of 2006 (he'll play a man in his 30s who loves a 60-something woman, played by veteran Go Doo-Shim). He's also been recently cast in Kim Sang-Jin's upcoming 형제는 용감했다 (Brave Brothers), which is pretty impressive for a young man who has been acting quietly in Chungmuro since the late 90s, and until now was only known as Eom Jung-Hwa's little brother.

SBS continues their tradition of focusing on pretty faces and pretty Dramas over strong writing and good acting, but a few talents were able to emerge. What was probably the station's best Drama of the year, Lee Jae-Gyu's 패션70s (Fashion Seventies), not only allowed Lee Yo-Won to make a strong comeback, but revealed the immense raw potential of Cheon Jung-Myung. He's only been in a few films -- latest being Jung Jae-Eun's underrated 태풍태양 (The Aggressives) -- and TV Dramas, but already displayed strong screen presence and charisma. He's been recently cast alongside Park Joong-Hoon in 강적 (The Great Rival), which could open him to mainstream acceptance, even more than 'Fashion Seventies' did. And to think he debuted on the big screen with that agonizingly boring mess that was 아 유 레디? (R. U. Ready?).

But the one who made the biggest impression was Lee Da-Hae. When she won Best New Actress last year, a lot of people thought she was praised too quickly and too much. But she has a kind of spunky yet elegant charm, combined with enough down-to-earth/girl-next-door appeal to win over viewers. She not only starred alongside Go Soo in 그린 로즈 (Green Rose), but finally got her first leading role in 마이걸 (My Girl), which is starting soon. She certainly needs to improve a few areas of her acting, but is one of the most promising stars in the industry.

Last but not least, MBC. Considering all the problems the station went through, the recent drought in ratings and several production misfires, the mere fact they're still making good shows leaves hope. Although ratings are still very low, the former 'Drama Kingdom' is still the best when it comes to breezy, lightweight Dramas for the slacker crowd, like 신입사원 (Super Rookie) and 내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soon). One of those shows is certainly 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy), whose leading star Nam Sang-Mi is raising eyebrows, but this time it's not because of her pretty face. Picked by a production company from a famous Internet site with 얼짱 ('Coolest Face', unknow girls with pretty faces), 21 year old Nam went on to star in her first film -- the brutal 그녀를 모르면 간첩 (Spy Girl) -- with virtually no acting experience.

But as the supporting roles started to pile up, the big suits started noticing she had something more than the 'pretty face' she made a name for herself with: she could act, and really well at that! Her latest film 강력3반 (Never To Lose) did surprisingly well, and even though 'Sweet Spy' has the lowest ratings of all the Mon-Tue Dramas, it's the most entertaining, and Nam's acting is much better than anybody could expect. Don't know about the industry, but I expect big things from this 'sweet spy.'

TV DRAMA RATINGS
12/05~12/11

01. 34.2% 슬픔이여 안녕 (Goodbye To Sadness)
Weekend Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Park Sun-Young, Kim Dong-Wan, Oh Yeon-Soo]

02. 31.7% 별난여자 별난남자 (Weird Man, Weird Woman)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Jung Joon, Kim Ah-Joong, Go Ju-Won]

03. 22.9% 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven)
Weekend Drama - SBS [Cast: Yoon Jung-Hee, Lee Tae-Gon, Jo Yeon-Woo]

04. 18.5% 백만장자와 결혼하기 (Marrying a Millionaire)
Special Project - SBS [Cast: Kim Hyun-Joo, Go Soo, Son Tae-Young]

05. 17.7% 황금 사과 (Golden Apple)
Wed/Thu Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Park Sol-Mi, Park Ji-Bin, Jung Chan]

06. 17.4% 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong)
Historical Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Bo-Young, Jo Hyun-Jae, Ryu Jin]

07. 17.1% 사랑은 기적이 필요해 (Love Needs a Miracle)
Wed/Thu Drama - SBS [Cast: Kim Won-Hee, Lee Gyu-Han, Kim Soo-Mi]

08. 16.5% 들꽃 (Wild Flower)
Daily Morning Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Ah-Hyun, Seonwoo Jae-Deok, Kim Jung-Hak]

09. 16.2% 이 죽일놈의 사랑 (A Love To Kill)
Mon/Tue Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Rain, Shin Min-Ah, Kim Sa-Rang]

10. 15.5% 고향역 (A Place Called Home)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Song Ok-Sook, Park Hyung-Jae, Kim Cheol-Gi]

Sources
Yahoo Korea: 1, 2, 3
Star News: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11
Chosun: 1
MyDaily News: 1
Yonhap News: 1
Cine21: 1