Friday 16 August 2013

News bites: July 3, 2013


Won Bin, Lee Na-young

  • Birth of a new star couple: News broke that Won Bin and Lee Na-young were spotted on a date together, and the stars have since confirmed that they're in the early stages of a relationship. They've been represented by the same agency since 2011, which is how they got to know each other, and also explains why the official announcement came with lightning efficiency. Pretty handy, that. [Star News]
  • There must be something in the air. Congratulations to pop star Lee Hyori and songwriter-musician Lee Sang-soon (of Roller Coaster, Verandah Project), who are reportedly tying the knot in September. The couple has been dating for three years and seem pretty comfortable and well-matched; she recently described him as something akin to a soulmate and has been talking about the relationship in a number of variety show appearances. There was a wave of denials following the initial wave of news, but I'd say there's a good chance we'll get that wedding. [Mk.co.kr]
  • I guess KBS's Drama Special series is just on a casting tear. They recently started a new season and have been casting various installments, and now Wonder Girl Sohee joins the mix in her first leading role for Happy! Rose Day. She plays a young twentysomething working at her mother's florist shop while dreaming of becoming an actress. Should be a treat for all her fans, who have had to wait out a pretty long Wonder Girls dry spell with all their overseas activities. I can't say I find her acting that compelling, but her starpower is nothing to sniff at. [E News 24]

  • Lee Na-young and Won Bin, undercover

  • Jung Woo-sung and Lee Beom-soo have signed on to star in a new gambling movie called God's Play, about a baduk player who bets big and loses everything, and then goes on a desperate quest to get revenge. I don't know how they're going to make baduk exciting, but I suppose it's all in the execution. There are good movies about chess, right? Ahn Sung-ki (The Tower), Ahn Gil-kang (The Great Seer), and Kim In-kwon (Born to Sing) co-star. Shooting begins in August. [Star News]
  • There's a bit of a shuffle going on at Master's Sun, the ghost-seeing rom-com starring Gong Hyo-jin and So Ji-sub, which is reportedly losing a supporting actor in idol Park Hyung-shik (of Ze:A). Some articles cite a source with his agency who say they pulled him from the show to focus on his idol activities, with Ze:A making its comeback in August. On the other hand, there are other articles saying that his management was surprised at the articles, that Park isn't necessarily quitting, and that they're awaiting decision from the producers. In any case, the show follows I Hear Your Voice on SBS. [Sports Seoul, Osen]

Last week a bunch of shows ended, which means this week we get a bunch of interviews with those shows' stars. It's a lot of the same canned stuff, but let's take a look at some of the comments:

  • Lee Seung-gi, on Gu Family Book: "The ending was set from the start. Personally, I like it." Pause for dramatic effect… start booing now? Okay, it wasn't his fault the writer lost her mind. Things gained from this drama: "Good people." Things lost: "Good skin." [Sports DongA]
  • Suzy, on her similarities with her drama character: "Yeo-wool's way of loving is similar to me. There was a lot of dialogue I identified with, which I understood emotionally." Differences: "I don't have as much aegyo with [Seung-gi] oppa as Yeo-wool does. I don't have a lot of aegyo to begin with, and I'm the boring type. Boring and empty can-like." [Chosun]

  • Ji Chang-wook

  • Lee Jung-jin recently wrapped the makjangapalooza weekend drama Hundred Year Inheritance, which had its fair share of crazy. No wait, more than its fair share, in that crazy is not a quota I think a drama should be reaching for. "You could say that the criticism showed that there was a lot of interest. So I think criticism is popularity." Um. That's one way to look at it. [Herald Biz]
  • Kim Tae-hee finished up her show Jang Ok-jung, Live By Love, and encountered the usual (for her) wave of criticism for her acting skills. (Maybe is just popular?) She admits it was difficult to tough it out, but she's the type to grit her teeth and work through it, and so she did. She said about acting, "To me, right now, acting is a drug I've had a small taste of." [SBS E]
  • And Lee Dong-wook also wrapped a show, KBS's sageuk Mandate of Heaven, and drew some amount of criticism as well. (Deserved, I say. I like him in almost everything else he's done, but he was hammy with the dramatics in this one.) He admits feeling burdened by the middling ratings, but seems to have taken a glass-half-full approach with the critique: "Just hearing that there was acting criticism is meaningful. Because of Mandate of Heaven, I worked and deliberated a lot about my acting. In the end, what I got from that was that I have to do well. Working hard is a given, but now I have to really perform well." [Newsen]
  • Here's a photo shoot of Ji Chang-wook with horses. Because why not? Since wrapping his last drama Five Fingers, he's been shooting a drama short called Secret Love with idol Park Gyuri, and is also preparing to star in musicals Jack the Ripper and The Brothers Were Brave. Busy, busy. [TV Report]

RELATED POSTS

  • News bites: April 17, 2013
  • News bites: April 8, 2013
  • News bites: February 4, 2013
  • News bites: January 4, 2013
  • News bites: October 3, 2012
  • News bites: June 13, 2012
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Tags: Ji Chang-wook, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Tae-hee, Lee Beom-soo, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Jung-jin, Lee Na-young, Lee Seung-gi, news bites, Park Hyung-shik, Suzy, Won Bin


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