Korean Weekly News - 12/19

FILM NEWS

The Korean film market has reached the 100 Million admissions for the 4th consecutive year. According to multiplex chain CJ CGV's recently published report, a total of 141,551,820 people went to the theater between January 1 and December 11, 2005, the highest result in 30 years. The score is much higher than 2003's 119 Million, and 2004's 135 Million, years dominated by blockbusters like 태극기 휘날리며 (Taegukgi) and 실미도 (Silmido), both selling over 10 Million tickets. But thanks to huge hits like 웰컴투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol), 말아톤 (Marathon) and 가문의 위기 (Marrying The Mafia 2), 2005 rebounded from a shaky start to end with 10 films (domestic + foreign) selling over 3 Million tickets nationwide. Korean films' market share continues to surpass the 50% since 2003, and this year was no different, with a share of 59.1% (54.6% in Seoul), which is lower than 2004's 59.3%, but higher than 2003's 53.7%. 5 out of the Top 10 and 14 out of the Top 20 hits of the year were Korean films. Out of the foreign films released in 2005, Mr. & Mrs. Smith was the most successful with 3.5 Million, followed by The Island, War of the Worlds and Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire.

Another report noted that during the same period, Korean films reached 68 Billion Won in foreign distribution contracts, a 15% increase compared to last year. The most active were Hur Jin-Ho's 외출 (April Snow) with 7.5 Billion Won, Park Chan-Wook's 친절한 금자씨 (Sympathy For Lady Vengeance) with 3 Billion, the upcoming Choi Ji-Woo melodrama 연리지 (Now & Forever) with 3.5 Billion, Kim Young-Joon's 무영검 (Shadowless Sword), and the action noir 야수 (Running Wild), starring Kwon Sang-Woo and Yoo Ji-Tae. Although 80% of those contracts come from Asian companies, there's been a big increase in sales to South American countries like Brazil and Colombia, and more than 50 countries have bought Korean films in 2005, which promises well for the future. Finally, the average budget of Korean films in 2005 was 4.59 Billion Won -- 3.02 Billion for production and 1.57 Billion for marketing.

I thought we were already in hell, after uber-creepy boyband Dong Bang Shin Gi was cast in an upcoming TV Drama. But man... that looks like purgatory, at worst. Another member of another creepy boyband will officially start his career as an actor, as Shinhwa's Lee Min-Woo (a.k.a.'M'... for mediocre?) has been cast in the film 아빠, 여기 웬일이세요? (Dad, What Are You Doing Here?). Of all the roles availaible to play, what do you think Mr. Lee chose? Raise your hand, if you said 날라리 ('player'), because you're right.

Although the film co-stars Im Ha-Ryong, a regular of many TV programs who debuted in this Summer's megahit 웰컴투 동막골 (Welcome To Dongmakgol), the rest of the cast, including Ha Ha of various sitcoms and 연애술사 (Love in Magic), doesn't promise much. While fellow Shinhwa members 'Eric' Moon Jung-Hyuk and Kim Dong-Wan look to have a future in acting, Jun Jin and Andy showed they definitely don't in their various sitcom and TV Drama appearances, which makes me wonder which category M will fall into (given his on screen persona, I'd say the latter). The film is still completing casting, and will start shooting at the end of January, to allow Lee to complete his solo concert tour.

Finally good news for Im Kwon-Taek's new project 천년학 (Thousand Year Crane). After we reported about Lotte Entertainment and later even Taeheung Pictures abandoning the project, Im has found a new investor, and the film will go into shooting this Spring. The 3.5 Billion Won film, Im's 100th, faced difficulties when investors refused to risk with a film that had 'no stars'. Im has promised he won't reveal the new investors until January, and also said there's no grudges with Lee Tae-Won: "It's a shame we can't work together after collaborating for 20 years, but even though we'll have to separate for a while due to this problem, there are no changes to our friendship."

After wrapping up the press screening and promotion for his latest melodrama 파랑주의보 (My Girl & I), Cha Tae-Hyun didn't waste time, and got cast in another film. Adapted once again from another of Kangpool's (the most famous manhwa artist in Korea) works, 바보 (Fool) will star Cha and a yet unannounced leading female, and will be directed by 동감 (Ditto)'s Kim Jung-Kwon. The online manhwa achieved incredible popularity after being distributed through the Daum portal, and will start shooting early next year.

TV DRAMA NEWS

He already starred in a film which had something to do with professional wrestling, but Park Sang-Myun will continue to fuel the country's craze with combat 'sports' (after K-1 and Pride were the recipient of recent TV Drama plots), playing a professional wrestler in the upcoming SBS (Lunar) New Year special 박치기왕 (The King of Headbutts). Park was Song Kang-Ho's sparring partner in Kim Jee-woon's glorious 2000 black comedy 반칙왕 (The Foul King), but has been pretty silent on the movie side for a few years, only making a name for himself on several TV Dramas, last but not least 꽃보다 아름다워 (Prettier Than Flowers).

Quick, name the most famous Korean professional wrestler from the 60s? Kim Il! Problem is, like Na Hoon-Ah in trot and Bruce Lee in films, the man was the recipient of several impersonators, who made quick money off his image. Set in the 60s, 'The King of Headbutts' will star Park as one of those 'fake Kim Il', Kim Cheol-Seok. He impersonates the National Hero to fuel the wild imagination of his kid, but the problem will be living up to his expectations. Park will start training with fellow actors around the beginning of January, for about three weeks. He's also starring in KBS' upcoming Historical Drama 서울 1945 (Seoul 1945), and the theater play 병사와 수녀 (The Soldier and The Nun) which starts in January.

One of the potential big hits of 2006 is a remake of the 80s Drama 사랑과 야망 (Love & Ambition), written again by the legendary Kim Soo-Hyun. The original, which aired in 1986 on MBC and starred Nam Sung-Hoon and Lee Deok-Hwa, was one of the most beloved shows of the decade, which is why the moment the news of a remake hit the press, it created a lot of anticipation. The new show, which will be a 50 Episodes 특별기획 (Special Project), already started shooting last December 8 in Gangwon Province, and is expected to start airing on SBS from January 21. The cast features Han Go-Eun, Jo Min-Gi and Lee Hoon, and writer Kim Soo-Hyun and PD Kwak Young-Beom will join hands once again producing the Drama, after making it big in 1986.

Seems like Yoon Seok-Ho's new Drama 봄의 왈츠 (Spring Waltz) is finally going to get started. Sung Yoo-Ri, which was rumoured to have turned down her (leading) role in the show, denied the rumours. A PR from her agency Sidus HQ commented she's already taking Waltz lessons, and is doing rehearsals studying the script. He continued: "The writer might have been replaced, but that has no relation with our deal at all. Because the main lead has been cast, she's working hard to prepare for the shoot." The KBS2 Drama, the fourth and last installment of Yoon's super popular 'Seasonal Dramas', was supposed to be written by Jung Yoo-Kyung of 현정아 사랑해 (I Love You, Hyun-Jung) - a breezy and entertaining 2002 MBC Drama starring Kim Min-Sun and Gam Woo-Sung - but perhaps because she was writing too well, Mr. Yoon and the producers behind the show decided to change the writer, which eventually started the rumours about Sung. The Drama recently cast newcomer and former model Seo Do-Young in the male leading role.

She impressed in 여고괴담 4-목소리 (Voice), and held her own in the TV Drama 하노이 신부 (The Bride From Hanoi), but Kim Ok-Bin continues to pave her way to stardom. Not only she was cast in E J-Yong's sexy comedy 다세포 소녀 (Multi-Cell Girl), but she was also recently cast in her first leading role in a Miniseries, KBS' upcoming 안녕하세요 하느님 (Hello, God). The show, written by Kang Eun-Kyung and directed by PD Ji Young-Soo, will tell the story of a bright and innocent boy with an IQ of 65, who is neglected by society because of his problems, but fights hard to overcome them. Kim plays Seo Eun-Hye, a woman who thinks love is nothing more than sadness and difficulties piling up one after another... until our Forrest Gump shows up and turns her life upside down. The role of the 'Forrest Gump' will go to newbie Yoo Geon, who will also partner with Kim in 'Multi-Cell Girl'. Kang and PD Ji previously worked together in 오! 필승 봉순영 (Oh! Feel Young), which was quite watchable, so we'll see. 'Hello God' starts on January 2, after the end of 이 죽일놈의 사랑 (A Love to Kill).

TV DRAMA WRAPUP

We reported last week about 달콤한 스파이 (Sweet Spy) and its problems with MBC, but it's suddenly become an issue involving all three stations. MBC planned to end the show at 16 Episodes instead of the planned 20, because of lower than expected ratings, but then thankfully reversed its decision. But just the thought of losing a show (and a good one at that) because of low ratings angered some netizens, who complained on the Drama's official website. A netizen commented: "It's shocking that something with no particular problems could be stopped just because of low ratings." Another commented: "I'll start watching shows with lower ratings in a worried mood from now on, looks like anything could just end all of a sudden'. But this is not just a limited group of enraged netizens complaining, it's a real issue that an increasing number of TV Dramas are facing. Just this year, SBS' 돌아온 싱글 (Return of the Singles), 해변으로 가요 (Let's Go To The Beach), and 사랑한다 웬수야 (I Love You, Jerk!) and MBC' 맨발의 청춘 (Barefoot Youth) and 사랑찬가 (Recipe of Love) ended earlier than expected, because of low ratings.

Of course this has to do with a variety of things, including the decreasing ratings problem that network television has to deal with, thanks to the increasing penetration of Cable and Satellite (in the near future even DMB and Wireless Terrestrial TV) and their influence in the market. But even though shows like 가을소나기 (Autumn Shower) had abysmal ratings, even in the 2-3% range, there were always people willing to watch, and a lot of those neglected Dramas ended up becoming 'Mania' Dramas, object of cult online. Who knows what would have happened to 부활 (Rebirth) if MBC's 내 이름은 김삼순 (My Lovely Sam-Soom) were a 24 Episodes Drama and not 16, it probably would have been shortened too, despite being easily the best show of the year. The biggest problem is the investment and contract structure of TV Dramas itself.

Just like movies, depending on the level of popularity of your cast, TV Stations (pushed by their investors) tend to expect certain ratings, which obviously change depending on the show. And when they sign contracts with the shows' producers, there's always a clause that allows them to pull out, in case things don't go as planned. This might sound fine for something like a 100 episodes Historical Drama, with costs that put Chungmuro budgets to shame -- 불멸이 이순신 (The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin) cost 35 Billion Won -- but is ending a Miniseries four-five episodes earlier than planned going to change things that much? And besides, isn't that practice an insult to viewers, who spend their free time following the shows, but at the end are just treated like demographic % points?

A viewer on the 'Sweet Spy' website said it all: "Instead of worrying about decreasing ratings, they should worry about making the show as fun as possible for those who are still watching, to keep them until the end."

Note:
Korean Weekly News will go on vacation until January 3. Next week you'll see a big feature reviewing 2005 in TV Dramas, with Top 10 lists, silly Awards, and all those things you'd expect from a Year in Review special. We'll also do a '2005 Year in Review' for Korean films later in January, as I finish watching the December DVD releases.

TV DRAMA RATINGS
12/12~12/18

01. 34.5% 별난여자 별난남자 (Weird Man, Weird Woman)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Jung Joon, Kim Ah-Joong, Go Ju-Won]

02. 33.2% 슬픔이여 안녕 (Goodbye To Sadness)
Weekend Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Park Sun-Young, Kim Dong-Wan, Oh Yeon-Soo]

03. 23.7% 하늘이시여 (Dear Heaven)
Weekend Drama - SBS [Cast: Yoon Jung-Hee, Lee Tae-Gon, Jo Yeon-Woo]

04. 18.7% 황금 사과 (Golden Apple)
Wed/Thu Drama - KBS2 [Cast: Park Sol-Mi, Park Ji-Bin, Jung Chan]

05. 17.0% 백만장자와 결혼하기 (Marrying a Millionaire)
Special Project - SBS [Cast: Kim Hyun-Joo, Go Soo, Son Tae-Young]

06. 16.9% 들꽃 (Wild Flower)
Daily Morning Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Ah-Hyun, Seonwoo Jae-Deok, Kim Jung-Hak]

06. 16.9% 그여자 (That Woman)
Friday Drama - SBS [Cast: Shim Hye-Jin, Jang Dong-Jik, Oh Yoon-Ah] NEW!

08. 16.8% 서동요 (The Ballad of Seo Dong)
Historical Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Bo-Young, Jo Hyun-Jae, Ryu Jin]

09. 15.9% 고향역 (A Place Called Home)
Daily Drama - KBS1 [Cast: Song Ok-Sook, Park Hyung-Jae, Kim Cheol-Gi]

10. 15.7% 마이걸 (My Girl)
Wed/Thu Drama - SBS [Cast: Lee Da-Hae, Lee Dong-Wook, Park Shi-Yeon] NEW!

Sources

Star News: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Yahoo Korea: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
My Daily: 1
Chosun Ilbo: 1