KP’s Note 6

Dear KPculturists,

As you’ve probably noticed, we changed our site layout recently. If you’re new and want to catch up on older posts, click on Archives on the right sidebar to see posts categorized by month, topic, or tag. Our posting schedule was quite irregular last month, but we’re still pushing ahead. Just today, we put up five posts so have a look and click on Older Posts to catch up on this week’s news.

Did you get a chance to see some celebrities’ childhood photos in our Just4kix series? Click here to see what stars like Kwon Sang Woo, Lee Da Hae, Kim Ha Neul, and Se7en looked like when they were young. We’ll post another Guess Who this weekend.

After five months, we [already? finally?] passed 1,000,000 hits. Thanks for continuing to visit our site.

Sincerely,

KP

P.S. Here a few cute, random photos for your amusement:

• CL of 2ne1 and Yang Seung Ho (2ne1′s stylist) have fun with the camera

CL & Yang Seung Ho

• Kim Byul and Kim Beom, take a break on the set of Flight (비상) to pose with Mason Moon Moorhouse in June. The two-year-old baby actor is referred to as Moon Mason in Korea and is of Canadian-Korean heritage. He rose to fame as Jang Keun Suk’s co-star in Baby & I (애가와 나).

Kim Byul, Mason Moon Moorhouse, Kim Beom

• Kim Hyun Joo and Lee Dong Wook fall asleep in each other’s arms while filming Partner

Partner - still

Minimix 31

• Actor Jung Jae Young went bald for the first time in his acting career  for a film role. He got his head shaved on July 8 in order to wear the wig that he needs to play an elderly man in Eekki (이끼). (KP’s note: I’m not sure what the English title will be because 이끼 is the Korean word for moss as well as the phrase “Dear me!/What a fright!”.)
  

  Jung Jae Young

  This is the third film – following Silmido and Public Enemy Returns – with famed director Kang Woo Suk directing Jung Jae Young. The movie is a thriller about people who live alone without family in a rural village and the secrets that unravel as a young stranger enters. Park Hae Il, Yoo Joon Sang, and Yoo Hae Jin have also been cast and will begin filming in August.

• Kim Min Joon (Friend, Our Legend) received a minor injury while making a guest appearance on Family Outing. An agency representative for Kim said that the actor was paragliding when the wind suddenly changed directions and caught him off guard. Kim is able to appear on variety shows since Friend, Our Legend completed filming before broadcast began.
  

  Kim Min Joon

• Kim Dong Wook, Lee Dong Wook, and Kim Hyun Joo – currently starring in Partner – are promoting a World Vision campaign taken on by Skono Korea (under Norwegian fashion brand, Skono). They are sending 22,000 pairs of shoes to Swaziland as part of emergency relief supplies.
  

  Kim Dong Wook, Kim Hyun Joo, Lee Dong Wook

  The leads of KBS2′s legal drama are currently sleeping less than two hours per night in order to film two episodes per week. The tight schedule is a result of the drama being pushed up two months due to SBS’s complaints against Magazine Allo. Fortunately, Partner‘s viewership went up over the past week from 7.7% (episode 4) to 12.1% (episode 5), surpassing Triple‘s weak 6.8%.

• Moon Hee Jun and his fan club distributed toys at Hansarang – a centre for children with disabilities – in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do. The nature of the charitable activity was linked with his new mini album‘s title track, “Toy”.
  

  Moon Hee Jun

• Kang Ji Hwan put on four kilograms of muscle to star in an Mnet “showcumentary” featuring his travels in Japan. He even brought along a trainer to help him get his body in shape for future filming at the country’s famous hot springs. Kang will be travelling all over Japan to film the series, 강지환의 어느날 어디선가 (loosely translated as Kang Ji Hwan’s Day Somewhere), which is expected to be broadcast from September to February.
  

  Kang Ji Hwan

  The article’s in Korean, but check out 10asia for a collection of behind-the-scenes photos from Kang Ji Hwan’s recent fan meetings in Japan.

Upcoming Dramas – Sneak Peek 3

Stills from some dramas that premiere this month – Triple, Partner, and Friend, Our Legacy are below!

Triple - wallpaper

Kim Hyun Joo & Lee Dong Wook Partner Up

Kim Hyun Joo, Lee Dong Wook

Kim Hyun Joo and Lee Dong Wook have been cast in Partner, an upcoming KBS legal drama. The show will explore the true nature of humans and seeks to give a realistic portrayal of the Korean legal system and courts.

Minimix 22

KP’s note: Although it isn’t kpculture-related, the passing of a former president is big news – and even more so when surrounded by scandal – so read about Roh Moo Hyun’s suicide in the New York Times, the Associated Press, or BBC News.

On a related note, all of the major broadcasting stations cancelled a week’s worth of variety programs because they felt that it would be inappropriate during this tragic time.

• Veteran actress Yeo Woon Gye (69) passed away at on May 22 due to kidney cancer that had spread to her lungs. Yeo had an illustrious career spanning 57 years – some of her more recent works include Oh! Pil Seung and Bong Soon Young, Bad Family, War of Money, and Golden Era of Daughter-in-Law. Many entertainers are visiting the funeral hall at Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital to pay their respects.
  

  Yeo Woon Gye, 1940-2009

• Yoon Sang Hyun, co-star on hit drama Queen of Housewives, teared up on May 22′s broadcast of Guerilla Date. When asked how his parents feel about his recent rise in fame, Yoon admitted that his father sadly does not yet recognize him after suffering a stroke when Queen of Housewives began filming.
• Korean-Japanese mixed martial artist Chu Sung Hoon (a.k.a Akiyama Yoshihiro) is the guest on Family Outing‘s May 31 and June 7 and June 14 broadcasts. He filmed with the cast and crew overnight on May 18 and 19 around Hwasung, Gyeonggi-do. Chu married Japanese model Shiho Yano earlier this year. Career-wise, he signed with UFC this past February and will fight in his first UFC match on June 11, 2009.
  

  Family Outing with Yoshihiro Akiyama

• The Slingshot (Story of a Man) stills from Gyeong Ah and Do Woo’s wedding were released this week, in advance of episode 15′s broadcast on Monday, May 25.
  

  The Slingshot - still

  

  The Slingshot - still

  

  The Slingshot - Kim Kang Woo, Park Shi Yeon, Park Yong Ha on set

  

  The Slingshot - Heo Wook, Kim Kang Woo, Park Shi Yeon, Park Yong Ha, Han Yeo Woon on set

• Singer Lee Minwoo (a.k.a M) and TV personality Amy have split after half a year of dating. On May 18, a representative of M’s agency confirmed that the couple separated at the beginning of the month due to personality differences. Amy expressed through her minihompy on the same day, “I alone was happy… I alone was sad… I alone was hurt… I alone shed tears… I alone laughed… Now, I’m ok [doing] everything alone.” The two went from make-believe couple to actual couple through meeting on the reality TV program, Kkokko Sightseeing Single Single, last fall.
  

  Lee Min Woo, Amy

Photofix 47

In magazines:

• Kim Hyun Joo for InStyle (5/09)

Kim Hyun Joo in InStyle (5/09)

Kim Hyun Joo for InStyle (5/09)

Kim Hyun Joo for InStyle (5/09)

Kim Hyun Joo for InStyle (5/09)

Kim Hyun Joo for InStyle (5/09)

Kim Hyun Joo for InStyle (5/09)

• Sohn Tae Young models Celine sunglasses in Vogue (5/09)

Sohn Tae Young in Vogue (5/09)

Sohn Tae Young in Vogue (5/09)

Sohn Tae Young in Vogue (5/09)