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Top actress Choi Jin-sil was found dead Thursday morning in her home in what appears to be a suicide. She was found in a shower booth with pressure band wrapped around her neck.
Police says that her body was discovered by her family member at 6:15 and police arrived at the scene around 7:30. No suicide note was found. The details and circumstances of her death are still being investigated.
Choi has been under enormous pressure lately from rumors implicating her in the suicide death of TV actor Ahn Jae-hwan, husband of Choi’s close friend, comedienne Jung Sun-hee. Internet postings accused Choi of lending about 2 million dollars to Ahn, indirectly driving him to his death. Police arrested a 25-year-old securities firm employee in late September for initiating the false rumor in cyber space.
Choi debuted in 1988 on a TV historical drama and since then has played numerous leading roles in both TV and films. She rose to stardom in the romantic TV drama “Jealousy” in 1992, and starred in such hits as “You and Me,” “Bad Woman, Good Woman,” “Rose and Bean Sprouts,” and “My Rosy Life.” Her latest starring role was in “The Last Scandal of My Life” the spring of 2008, which put her back in the limelight as the most bankable middle-aged star.
While enjoying professional success, her personal life, on the other hand, has been full of ups and downs. She married then baseball star Cho Sung-min in December 2000, but divorced him five years later. They have two children, whose last name was changed from “Cho” to their maternal sir name “Choi” this year. Well-known for her fierce loyalty and strong friendship with a small group of celebrities, which include comediennes Jung Sun-hee and Lee Young-ja and models Lee So-ra and Hong Jin-kyung among others, she was apparently devastated by the death of Ahn and the ensuing rumors. The general public suspects that the stress from the recent string of events pushed her over the edge and prompted her to take her own life. Her body is currently at rest in Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul.
source: KBS World
’90s TV Icon Discovered Dead in Her Apartment
Top Korean actress Choi Jin-shil has been found dead in her Jamwon-dong apartment in Seoul. According to police, Choi was found dead by her mother on the morning of October 2 at 6:15 a.m. The police are currently investigating the details of the incident but tentatively concluded that the actress had committed suicide.
A police official said Choi had apparently hung herself with a compress in the shower booth. Close acquaintances say that Choi had been severely depressed after the recent suicide of actor Ahn Jae-hwan, who was the husband of her close friend and popular TV and radio host Jeong Seon-hee.
Choi had recently been at the center of unconfirmed rumors alleging that Ahn had owed her an enormous sum of money which she had lent to him as a private loan. Choi had denied the rumors and asked the police to investigate the matter. A couple of days prior to her death, the police indicted without detention a woman in her 20s for spreading the rumor online.
Source: KBS Global
Actress Choi Found Dead in Apparent Suicide
By Park Si-soo
Staff ReporterActress Choi Jin-sil was found dead in her home in Seoul in an apparent suicide, police said Thursday, amid rumors linking her demise to the death of an actor last month.The 40-year-old Choi has been a national heartthrob for the past two decades appearing in numerous box-office hit films, dramas, and commercials.
According to Seocho Police Station, Choi’s mother found the actress hanging by an elastic bandage in a shower stall at her home at 6:15 a.m. and reported it to them at 7:34 a.m.
An investigation is under way into the exact cause of her death, but currently police are leaning toward suicide since Choi sent a text message to her makeup manager hinting that she would kill herself. In the message, she said “My dear, I hope you take care of my children if something happens to me.”
An autopsy was conducted at Kangnam St. Mary’s Hospital that night, with results due within days.
“Taking the evidence and testimony into consideration, we believe she apparently committed suicide,” Yang Jae-ho, a chief investigator said. “We will continue to look into the case to clarify the cause and other details.”
Investigators said Choi drank with her manager last night and returned home at around midnight. Crying before her mother, she said “I am disappointed in people who allege I pulled strings behind the death of (actor) Ahn Jae-hwan. I had nothing to do with his suicide.” Then, she entered the bathroom and locked the door.
Waking up at around 4 a.m., her mother entered her room and learned Choi was still in the bathroom. As there was no reaction to her knock, she called a maintenance man to open the door at 6 a.m.
Ahn, the husband of popular comedian Jung Sun-hee, was found dead inside his car in early September also in an apparent suicide using toxic fumes generated by burning charred briquettes.
Rumors have since circulated on the Internet that Choi had lent billions of won to Ahn, who was reportedly shouldering huge debts due to his faltering business. Rumors also said Choi pressured and even threatened Ahn to get her money back.
Choi had asked police to investigate the origins of what she called groundless stories, and a securities company official was arrested this week on suspicion of spreading the rumor that Choi lent 2.5 billion won ($2.5 million) to the late actor.
On Wednesday, the actress went to a studio to shoot a commercial, but this was canceled halfway through due to her poor health. Choi’s partner at the shoot, Sohn Hyun-joo, said she looked very weary. “Her face looked really bad and she found it difficult to continue and had to stop after two hours,” Sohn said.
Born in Seoul on December 24, 1968, the all-smiling Choi jumped to stardom in the 1990s after appearing in a TV commercial for a Samsung video tape recorder.
Despite her professional success, her personal life was tough. Her manager Bae Byung-soo was killed by Choi’s driver in 1994, and Choi was called to testify in the case. In 2000, Choi married Cho Sung-min, then a popular baseball player, but this ended in an ugly divorce in 2004. She is survived by her two children.
Source: Korea Times
I really liked her…T_T Why is everyone I like suddenly dying?
I’ll miss her.
Ever since losing their home at the Seoul Arts Center due to a fire that broke out during the “La Boheme” performance last December, the National Opera of Korea has been going through a tough time.
Yet now, with its newly appointed artistic director Lee So-young, a well-known opera producer, the NOK seems to be getting its affairs back in order. Since their successful performance of “Carmen” in July, the company is set to stage a new work, “Salome,” starting Oct. 2 at LG Arts Center.Lee chose to stage “Salome” – considered one of the most controversial modern operas – for the first time in Korea. It is a part of the company’s “My Next Opera” series, which intends to introduce some rare works that have not been staged in the country before.
“Because of the sensual costumes and performances, the piece has been receiving extreme critiques. I felt like the piece was no longer provocative in the 21st century,” Lee said at a recent press conference in Seoul.
With music by Richard Strauss and scripts adopted from the play of the same title by Oscar Wilde, the story is about.
While the drama was a huge success in Germany when it premiered in 1905, it was soon banned from other theaters. The charge was that it insulted characters in the Bible.It deals with a peculiar love-hate relationships between King Herodes who loves his step daughter Salome, and Salome who is in love with the prophet Jochanaan, who refuses to accept her affection.
What makes the work sensational is the famous 12-minute voluptuous “Dance of the Seven Veils” – in which Salome dances as she takes off seven layers of her clothes in front of King Herodes to make him execute Jochanaan’s.
For this production by the Venezuelan-German director Carlos Wagner, however, Salome will not be taking off any of her clothes.
“I tried to develop a story where a girl, Salome, becomes a woman through the dance,” Wagner said.
Saying that he tried to be true to the text of Wilde, Wagner stated that he intended to show Salome’s emotional nature, rather than her body, during the dance, since the “Dance of the Seven Veils” is neither mentioned in the Bible nor Wilde’s play.
Instead, the producer decided to dress King Herodes in red underwear and a fur coat, which made the original cast, who were not feeling comfortable with the costume, back off. This so-called “red underwear incident” forced the National Opera of Korea to make last-minute cast changes.
Another challenge was the small orchestra pit at the LG Arts Center. Conductor Christopher Lee said it is hard to show the colors of Strauss’ music with a 40-piece orchestra; the original performance used a 120-piece orchestra.
Lee said he will do his best to make it work by using two electrons – electronic keyboard instruments – in place of the brass.
Sopranos Han Hye-jin and Lee Ji-eun will double in the role of Salome, while veteran German tenor Gerhard Slegel will play King Herodes.
“Salome” will be staged from Oct. 2 to 5 at LG Arts Center in Yeoksam-dong, Seoul. Tickets run from 30,000 won to 90,000 won. For details, call (02) 586-5282 or check out www.nationalopera.org
By Koh Young-aah2008.10.01
I have nothing to say to this. No opinions. Have a happy and safe day^^
Despite its top-notch cast, stellar script and near cinematic perfection, SBS’ new Wednesday and Thursday night series, “The Painter of Wind,” failed to win audiences over last week.
The period piece drew in nationwide viewer ratings of 10.6 percent (AGB Nielsen Media Research) following its first episode, which aired last Wednesday. Its low ratings placed it below the rival dramas MBC’s “Beethoven Virus” and KBS’ “The Land of the Wind,” which scored nationwide ratings of 16.5 percent and 15.9 percent (AGB Nielsen Media Research) respectively.The second episode of “The Painter of Wind” fared only slightly better, with a mere 0.5 percent increase in ratings (AGB Nielsen Media Research).
But the drama’s poor track record hardly does it justice. While ratings may reflect viewers’ preferences, they do not represent a series’ quality. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of “The Painter of Wind.”
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, this drama – which reinterprets and rewrites the lives of leading Joseon Dynasty painters Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok – manages to fuse the artistic and human beauty of the rival series “Beethoven Virus” with the sweeping epic proportions of KBS’ “The Land of the Wind.”
Park Shin-yang and co-star Moon Geun-young bring star power and acting prowess to the game, pulling off their leading roles as mentor and pupil, lovers and comrades, with stunning depth and complexity.
If “The Painter of Wind” has an Achilles’ heel, it is that it chooses to focus on art. For the average television viewer, the combination of art and history can come across as boring and long-winded.
“It is a difficult drama,” admitted director Jang Tae-yoo at a press conference on Sept. 17. “It is challenging to make art interesting. I don’t know how much of it will get communicated to audiences.”
Judging from the first two episodes, Jang and his team have succeeded in breathing new life into a potentially stuffy genre. Soft and sweeping shots of aspiring court painters putting brush to paper and tipping back wine while ogling gisaeng (Korean geisha) offer an entirely new portrait of the Joseon Dynasty.
While the series retains the usual elements of intrigue and murder, politics and warfare take a back seat. Romance and the essence of the late Joseon Dynasty, an era of reform and cultural renaissance, come to the forefront, imbibing the period piece with a strong sense of humanity and intimacy.
More importantly, the series takes on an approach reminiscent of lush period pieces like E. J-yong’s “Untold Scandal” (2003), by focusing on issues of sexuality and gender.
Posing the classically Shakespearean question: “What if the famed painter Shin Yun-bok had been a girl pretending to be a boy?” the drama – like the original novel – toys with themes of homosexuality and forbidden love while highlighting the inequalities of a male-dominated society.
Actress Moon took up the challenge of playing girl-turned-boy Shin Yun-bok. And she does a surprisingly good job of portraying a confident and rebellious girl struggling to make it in a world ruled by men.
“I tried to copy my older male co-stars,” said Moon, 21, at the press conference.
The precocious actress did more than just mimic her male colleagues. Within the first two episodes, she managed to convey the mischievous and anguished nature of her character, at times playing a sweet and innocent tomboy, at others, a cocky and seductive painter.
Though there is no evidence that the real Shin was a woman, his talent at capturing the beauty of women and creating exquisite intimate paintings remains undisputed.
Known by his pen name, Hyewon (b. 1758), he is remembered today as one of the “Three Wons” of Joseon-period painting.
The other two include fellow genre painter Kim Hong-do a.k.a. Danwon (1745- c.1806) and 19th century painter Jang Seung-up (1843-1897) – otherwise known as Owon.
While Kim enjoyed a relatively prominent career as an artist, fellow painter Shin – who was expelled from the royal painting institute, Dohwaseo – lived a more obscure life.
“The Painter of Wind” takes historical liberties with the lives of Kim Hong-do and Shin Yun-bok, depicting a full-blown romance between Kim, played by Park Shin-yang, and Moon Geun-young’s character, against the backdrop of 18th century Korea.
“The Painter of Wind” airs on Wednesday and Thursday nights on SBS at 9:55 p.m.
By Jean Oh2008.09.30
I’ve only seen the first episode, thanks to my sweet Unnie who sent it to me, but I liked it. It has a good plot and the actors seem to portray the characters well. Park Shinyang is proabaly the reason though^^
Hope everyone can watch a bit of it one day.
First off, Tayku has PnuemoniaT_T. I had been trying to contact her the past few days and fially went to her house today. She’s sick in bed and has no strength to get up and post on here. I guess that only leaves me.
On to the real news… Seo Taiji(My god of everything that is sexy) had a concert. I really wish I had been there. It sounded like a lot of fun. I’m a really big fan of his. I’ve heard everything he has ever put out. Oh, by the way, he has a new mv out. T’ik T’ak. He’s just too… Forget that thought.
About his recent concert…
As if to persuade the audience that his moniker, “The President of Culture,” isn’t an overstatement, Seo Tai-ji lit up Seoul World Cup Stadium on an unseasonably chilly night Saturday.
Fusing two seemingly antithetical genres, the 36-year-old rock star and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra created an epic sound that shook the stadium.
The grandiosity of the 65-piece orchestra, led by England’s Tolga Kashif, paired with Seo’s music was not only seamless, but the infusion was so perfect that there will likely be fans who cannot fathom listening to his music in its original form again.
The performance was a blending of violins, violas, cellos, oboes, trumpets, kettle drums, chimes and even a harp, all of which was accentuated by the thrashing sounds of metal from Seo’s camp.
A comparison to Metallica’s concert with the San Francisco Symphony in 1999 is inevitable, but the difference here is that Metallica’s devastating metal sound chewed and consumed the orchestra they performed with through a bombardment of ripping guitar riffs and Lars Ulrich’s obnoxious drumming.
Seo and Kashif, on the other hand, seem to have focused more on how they could blend the best characteristics of classical arrangements which would complement Seo’s eclectic hard rock. It proved a success on all fronts.
The show kicked off with a laboriously long intro featuring a repetitious laser show on the Jumbo-Tron that was more like a Windows Media screensaver.
Just when it got to the point of slight annoyance, the giant screen slowly split down the center to reveal the man of the hour.
The stadium roared with chants and cheers as the “president” arrived.
By the end of “Take 2,” the fans were warmed up and ready to have their engine revved.
It was Seo’s third song, “FM Business,” that triggered seismic activity in the stadium. From there, it was everything goes and the 30,000 fans never let up.
Seo easily fluctuated between a delicate voice that created an initial calm and a rage-fueled vocal that entranced the audience, such as his 1993 hit, “Swamp of Death.”
Just before performing his newest single, “Moai,” he asked, “Tonight, I would like to bring you with me on a journey. Would you like me to take you there?”
Because of his reclusive reputation, this figurative invitation made the crowd go wild.
What followed was a more serene orchestral version of his newest anthemic single that was perhaps a bit too downbeat, given that it’s supposed to be an uplifting song.
Regardless, the blending of the Philharmonic Orchestra created an almost otherworldly atmosphere accompanied by abstract animation on the Jumbo-Tron that was most likely Seo’s intention. It worked.
Near the halfway point, Seo decided to do a bit of market research – with irony, of course. He asked the audience their age range. As it turned out, most were career men and women, along with quite a few college students. There were even high school and middle school students, which was a testament to the appeal his music has had for more than 15 years. He reinvents himself with each record.
Standing out from the rest of the set was the performance of “T’ik T’ak Fantasia” and “Classroom Philosophy,” which incorporated the 60-member Paju City Choir that enhanced the grandiose theme of the concert.
“Classroom Philosophy” was preceded by a short scathing commentary by Seo on the conditions of the Korean education system.
“I feel really bad for our youngsters to have to go through such a horrific educational system here in Korea. Nothing’s changed since the release of this song and it saddens me,” Seo said before bulldozing through the tune with chaotic fervor.
Signaling the coming end of the show, Seo obligingly introduced his band before tipping his hat to the conductor Kashif.
“I am truly grateful to The Royal Philharmonic and The Paju City Choir for enduring months of rehearsals in preparation for this concert,” Seo said.
“And, last but not least, please give the man who lost many hours of sleep to make all of this happen applause – Tolga Kashif everybody.”
With Seo’s career-defining first hit, “I Know,” The Great 2008 Seo Tai-ji Symphony came to an end, leaving the fans wanting more. That’s the best time to exit the stage for a man who has been one of most influential figures in contemporary Korean music.
By Song Woong-ki2008.09.29
I really wanted to go! Taiji! I have yet to see him in concert… I’m always out of the countryT_T
Hope everyone can like his music^^ If you happened to have been there… please leave a message. I wonder if Dongmin and Jungin went. Have a good day^^
Wah~ Yuchun looks so… sexy! Well, he always does. I’m sure everyone agrees with me. And the rest of them are just… Yummy.
My Micky Mouse:
Maybe it’s just me but I don’t like the exposed chests. It makes me want to turn away. I mean it’s sexy and all but don’t fluant it 24/7. I have a hard time looking at them, I find myself staring at their faces more than I used to. Ah~ But, that doesn’t matter. Here’s the rest of their sexyness…
Aren’t they all so cute? Junsu and Yuchun… cuties!
That’s all. Now off I go to eat chocolate cake work out. ^^Hope you had fun looking at the really pretty pictures. I’m loving the graphics. Have a happy day^^
I didn’t know he was making a new film. I really have to keep up with these kind of things. Anyway. Kim Ki-duk’s films are always… amazing, to say the least. And from what I just read his newest one, ‘Dream’, is no different. He always makes you think. Although sometimes it makes my head hurt with all the twist in his movies. Ha~ but it’s worth it. The films always leave you wanting to see more of his work. I’m lacking enough words to express his brilliance.
Award-winning director Kim Ki-duk has built up an international reputation with his films that starkly differ from other mainstream movies in Korea and elsewhere. He stands out largely because of his provocative styles and thought-provoking themes.
For better or worse, Kim did not pull any punches in making his 15th feature, “Dream (Bi-Mong),” to be released on Oct. 9. The movie has attracted media attention by signing up high-profile actors – Lee Na-young from Korea and Joe Odagiri from Japan – but viewers should be aware of the cinematic puzzles director Kim routinely inserts in his films, if they want to grasp what is really going on in this mixture of reality and fantasy.
Odagiri plays Jin, an artist who sees himself in a dream causing a car crash. What he discovers, however, is that his dream is not a mere creation of his brain – all the details he witnessed while sleeping turn out to be true. Or that’s what viewers are supposed to assume, given the quirky plot turns provided by director Kim, who never shies away from purposeful ambiguity and ambivalence.
Jin encounters a woman named Ran (Lee Na-young), a character who has plenty of grievances, especially concerning her shattered relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Strange as it may be, what Jin believes he has done in his dream is what Ran has done in reality. Although the car accident happens in Jin’s dream, the same incident plays out in Ran’s life, with police seeing her as the prime suspect.
The key proposition of the movie is that the two main characters are connected through dreams in a way that blurs reality and fantasy.
A butterfly emerges as the core image symbolizing the significance of dreams. In fact, this metaphor comes from a well-known ancient Chinese thinker, and its implication is rather straightforward: A person may dream about his life and discover that it’s just a dream when he wakes up, but how can he be sure about the possibility that what appears as reality is also another dream?
Kim’s presentation of the dream’s implications, however, is far from straightforward. The subplots are utterly confusing. Jin used to have a girlfriend, but the relationship is now over. But he finds himself dreaming about his former girlfriend and he vaguely senses that he still loves her. While Jin is struggling in his dreams, Ran is visiting her former boyfriend, not in her dream but while sleeping, because she is a sleepwalker. She hates the man deeply and when she realizes what she has done, she gets mad at Jin, the man whose dream goes in lockstep with her nightly visits.
To resolve the situation, Jin and Ran attempt to do the almost impossible: stay awake all the time. The assumption is that if Jin does not sleep, Ran does not have to walk around in her sleep. Jin can also sleep without his much-dreaded dream that generates real events when Ran is awake.
Their struggle to stay awake is, as some of director Kim’s fans might correctly predict, depicted in a gruesome manner. Self-inflicted torture abounds, which will make the audience squirm.
The movie’s dramatic intensity accelerates at a precarious pace when the two characters’ former lovers, played by Park Ji-ah and Kim Tae-hyun, join a four-way shouting match, trying to reverse what has already happened. At this point, it is no longer possible to identify where reality starts and fantasy ends. All the conflicting elements get mixed up, while the characters go through an enormous amount of pain and suffering.
One hint regarding Kim’s message is the peculiar existence of Jin. Japanese actor Odagiri plays the role in Japanese, while all the other characters speak in Korean. Strangely enough, Jin communicates perfectly with other Koreans, even though he continues to speak in Japanese. His otherworldly identity that transcends the language barrier is certainly unrealistic, but Kim leaves more questions than answers about his new cinematic dreamland that is so desolate.
By Yang Sung-jin
2008.09.25
Hope everyone can see it. Enjoy!
The Hollywood remake of the 2001 Korean box-office hit “My Sassy Girl” will open nationwide in Korea on Oct. 30, according to the film’s domestic distributor, Showbox.
Starring Jesse Bradford (“John Tucker Must Die”) and Elisha Cuthbert (“The Girl Next Door, 24″), the Yann Samuell-directed remake of the same name will be similar to the original, aside from the location and the female lead re-imagined as a wealthy socialite.
Set in New York, the movie tells the story of an everyman’s romantic involvement with an eccentric, free-spirited woman.
(kws@heraldm.com)
2008.09.24
Somehow, I don’t think it will be half as good. I’ve only ever watched the subbed version because of my lack of understanding of the Korean language, so… again, Minjee will edit this, as she has most likely seen it. ^^ I rely too much on her. Here’s hoping it fails miserably is a hit.
“EDIT“ Hello! Of course it won’t be as good. No offense to anyone, but anytime Hollywood remakes a great asian classic it always loses its appeal. Ah, but, really I hope people enjoy it. Maybe than they’ll want to watch the original. From what I remember of it(It’s been a few years.) it had a good storyline. The plot was simple and easy to follow. Hope everyone enjoys the remake as much as the original was enjoyed.
Renowned writers from China and Japan are to visit Seoul later this month to attend a forum on East Asian literature, organizers were quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.
Leading Japanese playwright and writer Inoue Hisashi and Chinese author Mo Yan, who gained notoriety with his novel-turned film “Red Sorghum,” will visit South Korea to participate in a seven-day East Asia Literature Forum starting on Sept. 29, announced Daesan Foundation, a Seoul-based literary organization.
The forum is the first of its kind and was established to promote exchange and understanding between the writers of South Korea, China and Japan.
Some 50 writers from the three East Asian countries will participate in the forum, including Chinese author Tie Ning, whose short story “Ah, Xiangxue” won a Chinese national award in 1982, and Su Tong, best known for his book “Wives and Concubines,” which was later adapted into the acclaimed film “Raise the Red Lantern.” Japanese writer Masahiko Shimada, a self-described left-wing author, will be in attendance, as will Keiichiro Hirano and Risa Wataya, winners of Japan’s prestigious Akutagawa Prize at the ages of 23 and 19 respectively.
Hwang Sok-yon, a South Korean novelist sentenced to 7 years in prison in 1993 for an unauthorized visit to North Korea and freed by presidential pardon from former President Kim Dae Jung after serving five years, will also take part in the forum, the foundation said.
2008.09.16
I don’t know anything about these people… so, Minjee will edit this later and give her input.^^ Much love and support…
“EDIT“ Hello! This is Minjee. I’ve been gone a long time, right? A week with my family was what I needed. I got to speak my native tongue nearly the whole time. So glad! Now, on to this post. Mo Yan! I haven’t read many Chinese novels, but I really enjoyed reading his. Red Sorghum is one of the best books ever… of the chinese ones. And Hwang Sokyon, too? Ah, I really want to go home now. ^^I guess I have to settle for second-hand news.
Pop idol makes shaky start in musical
Having well-known singers and actors on theater stage is a formula for success in musicals and plays, but the trend has become so prevalent that it seems almost passe.
Still, public attention was generated when two members of the popular Korean boy band Super Junior — Kang-in and Hee-chul — decided to make their musical debut in “Xanadu,” sharing the lead role.The show — a 1960s movie turned into a Broadway musical about a muse who comes to the human world and finds true love — seemed to be a perfect match for the pop idols.
Although Super Junior fans eagerly awaited the musical, there was a lingering doubt about whether the two young stars would be able to sing and act in the theater.
Prior to the show’s opening, the two pop idols seemed determined to showcase their talent for musical acting. They even said that they would rehearse far more than required to disprove the claim that they got the roles because of their boy-band success. In last Tuesday’s performance, where Kang-in played the main character Sonny, he succeeded in drawing his fans to the theater. At first, a number of doe-eyed teenage girls could be seen gazing at their idol in admiration.
Kang-in made a strong presence on the stage with his cute appearance and trademark smile, to wild responses from his fans. But he did not seem not fully prepared for the show, which required a combination of singing, acting, and roller skating. In most parts of the show, the main characters are on roller skates, due to the show’s unusual setting.
Kang-in’s singing and acting was far from professional, falling short of the level you would expect, and he gave the impression that he was not comfortable with his performance.
Kang-in was also shaky and unstable when skating — at one point he tripped and almost wiped out, prompting chuckles from the audience.
Kang-in’s less-than-impressive performance raised questions about the musical industry’s preference for high-profile entertainers from other fields, even if their presence does help ticket sales.
Meanwhile, the “Panadu” seats — where people could watch the show right up close to the actors, who would occasionally come and play with them — were a refreshing experiment as audiences seated in the special section enjoyed interacting with actors.
“Xanadu” will run through Nov. 23 at Doosan Art Center in Yeonji-dong, northern Seoul. For further information, call (02) 745-5570.
By Koh Young-aah
2008.09.22
Ah~ Poor Kangin… I’m sure he did his best.
I had meant to put this up… uh, I kind of forgot. It was meant to be up here on the 22nd, but of course I didn’t make it. Once again, poor kangin.
Sorry for not getting it on time. ^^
I won’t say I’m a big fan of them. I don’t not like them but… Yeah. Although they are real cute. ^^ Random interview post up ahead.
A chorus of young voices light up the room.
“Hi! We’re SHINee!”Bright and bubbly, the brand new five-member boy band shouts and bows in unison.
Here at the S.M. Entertainment headquarters on a Tuesday afternoon for their interview with The Korea Herald, the fledgling pop singers file in eagerly.
The future looks bright for them. After all, they are under the label that brought us top boy bands TVXQ and SuperJunior.
They are young. They are hot. And they are singing their way into pop fans’ hearts.
In short, this group of 15 to 18-year olds fits the formula for making it in the Korean pop industry.
And it seems to be working.
Just three months into their career, the group crooned their way into the hearts of older women across the nation with their debut single, “Replay,” nabbing a Cyworld Digital Music “Rookie of the Month” Award and a Mnet 20’s Choice “Hot New Star” Award with the surefire chorus, “Sister, you’re so pretty.”
“Love like Oxygen,” the first single off of SHINee’s full length album, climbed to the number three spot for the first week of September on music download site Soribada (www.soribada.com).
Boy band SHINee (from left to right): Onew, Taemin, Jonghyun, Minho, Key [S.M. Entertainment]Their first full length album, “The SHINee World,” hit the top of the Korean pop charts this week on online music store Hottracks (www.hottracks.co.kr) following its release in late August.
But before they make it big, SHINee wants to let people know who they are and what their new album is all about.
It is just past lunchtime when they roll in. Jong-hyun and Key, the most talkative of the group, introduce themselves first.Decked out in skinny black jeans and jackets it is hard to tell who is who, save for the youngest member, Tae-min, who is wearing a bowler hat.
Having already been on the interview circuit, the boys act like pros. SHINee leader O-new, in particular, keeps his cool. That is until the band starts talking about their Mnet reality show.
In each episode, a female guest star dates SHINee. At the end of each show, she gets to choose her favorite.
The boys start laughing as they discuss how Key got picked twice and everyone but O-new won once.
The 18-year old singer crosses his arms and pouts: “I haven’t been chosen yet because I didn’t want to get picked.”
As the joking and bantering goes on, it gets easier to tell them apart. The tanned, ambitious one with the strong vocals is Jong-hyun. The kid who never gets picked but always acts with a sense of duty is O-new.
Tae-min is the baby with the hip-hop moves. Key takes the band’s energy level up a notch. And Min-ho, who sits shyly in the corner for most of the interview, likes to play soccer and basketball.
So what is it like to be in a boy band?
“We sleep in one room with five beds,” answered Key.
“Jong-hyun sings in his sleep,” adds O-new.
“I make Tae-min fried dumplings, heat things up for him,” Key says proudly.
“Three-minute chef!” The rest of the band teases him.
All the boys laugh as they talk about living together. But they become more serious when it comes to music.
“Everyone wanted to be a performer from early on,” said Key, who started preparing for his debut in his second year of middle school. Taemin went to auditions when he was in sixth grade. The other boys also got cast for S.M. Entertainment in 2005 and 2006.
They talk about it as if this was all ages ago, which seems odd, since they is still in their teens and because it serves as a reminder that these are not just your average run-of-the-mill kids. They are full-time singers.
But despite the fact that they are mature when it comes to work, SHINee are still inexperienced when it comes to dating.
“Because we started training early, there was no time to date,” Key says. “So when we got ‘Replay,’ we were really surprised, because we hadn’t fallen in love with an older woman before.”
“We got some secondhand experience from videos,” Jong-hyun points out.
“Music videos,” leader O-new clarifies, to make sure there are no misunderstandings.
That secondhand experience must have helped. The group convincingly courts an older girl in the music video for the hit single, while soulfully belting out the lyrics for this R&B song.
Many of the other tracks on their new album also stick to the topic of romance, including Jong-hyun’s favorite “Love’s Way,” and “ROMANTIC,” which Min-ho cites as his favorite track.
So while the boys themselves might not be ready for love, it looks like their fans will have a hard time keeping themselves from falling for them.
By Jean Oh
2008.09.18
^^ Minjee Unnie is coming back! I’m happy, only a few more hours. I will definetely make her play soccer with me. And Oppa too! ^^
