Aren’t you glad there’s news on pretty-pretty model-actor Kim Jae Wook, aka Waffle Sun Ki?

This time, he’s making news for appearing in the music video for new artists Dear Cloud — for free. The band is described absurdly by Sportainment news as “British modern rock” (dude, British is a nationality, not a genre!), and its members are close friends with Kim Jae Wook.

Dear Cloud

 
I haven’t been able to get my hands on the music, but from what I’ve heard (via streaming), they’re mellow pop rock, like a quieter My Aunt Mary or — to go with the Britrock comparison — a bit like Travis or Keane. Which means I don’t know if I like them or not — they’re melodic and listenable, but could verge on bland. Or not.

Following the success of Coffee Prince, Kim Jae Wook had received lots of offers from big-name singers and artists to appear in their music videos, but he chose to focus carefully on his own future and declined the offers. However, upon hearing that his friends’ band was coming out with their debut album, he wanted to offer whatever help he could, and made the proposal to appear in their music video, under the condition that he wouldn’t get paid for it. He explained: “I’m really glad to have been able to participate with my friends in their first step into the recording industry.”

Dear Cloud is with Antenna Music, the same company managing Toy and Lucid Fall, and their title track is called “얼음요새” (Ice Fortress). You’ll have to wait till mid-November to see the music video, but you can start drooling now.

Source: Sportainment

SONG OF THE DAY

Instant Romantic Floor - “The Last Waltz”
[ zShare download ]

 
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Looks like I spoke too soon (below, regarding Moon Geun Young).

With the new “tomboy look” trend in full swing, cable channel Mnet took a look at it in closer detail on its Trend Report (aired on the 30th) and found that while some have taken on the style with aplomb, others haven’t quite managed to own the look and ended up owned instead. Or should I say pwned. And since it’s such a drastic change from many stars’ previous images (all long hair and feminine flair), those who flop with their new looks are all the more noticeable for it.

For instance, Moon Geun Young. People are disliking her look so much they’ve downgraded “Korea’s Little Sister” to “just a little sister.” Or, worse — “Korea’s Little Brother.” Ouch!

There are a couple other notable females going the tomboy fashion route…

SONG OF THE DAY

Jelly Boy / 해파리 소년 - “Android Girl” [ zShare download ]

What about the others? >>

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200 Pound Beauty actress and rising star Kim Ah Joong was recently awarded Elle Style’s “Hot Face” award. Well, with that much plastic in it, I guess they couldn’t call it a “fresh face” award. The Hot Face award goes to the star who found herself most in the spotlight in 2007 and was decided by fan and judge voting. (Hot face + hot spotlight + plastic beauty = make your own melty-face joke here.)

Past recipients of the award, which started in 1997 and applies to international stars, models and designers, include Madonna, Charlize Theron, Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen, Marc Jacobs, and Vivian Westwood. This year’s ceremonies were held in Hong Kong and featured many stars from Asia; other Korean candidates included Boa, Lee Junki, and Jeon Ji Hyun, but Kim Ah Joong was the only Korean honored with an award.

Source: Sportainment

SONG OF THE DAY

Garina Project - “Tell Me Tell Me.” Hm, I didn’t realize when I posted Garina Project below that I’d have a Kim Ah Joong post coming up so soon! Oh well, variety can suck it. This song was apparently used in Kim Ah Joong’s Pantene CF, although I haven’t seen the CF myself. By the way, there are rumors that Kim Ah Joong was first selected to be Eun Chan in Coffee Prince but had to quit because her Pantene contract forbade her to cut her hair. THIS IS FALSE. Coffee Prince’s director Lee Yoon Jung even spoke out to stop the erroneous rumors, saying that Kim Ah Joong hadn’t been selected as the original Eun Chan. She was one of a few actors whose names were considered in very early planning stages, along with Jung Ryeo Won, but neither actress was ever offered the role.
[ zShare download ]

 
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I love posting good news. Heh. Despite my enjoyment of bitchy snark.

Actor Kim Rae Won has been appointed to act as UNICEF Card Patron for the next year (UNICEF Cards are sold throughout the world, at approximately $1 each, the proceeds of which go entirely toward helping children). His appointment was made official on the 30th by the Korean Committee for UNICEF in Seoul.

In attendance at the ceremony were goodwill ambassador (and creepy-looking designer man) Andre Kim, as well as special representative (and comedian) Kim Mi Hwa.

I haven’t seen many of Kim Rae Won’s works; his last drama was 2006’s What Star Are You From? with Jung Ryeo Won, which I thought was all right but not enough to keep watching through the end. I could NOT bear to watch Love Story In Harvard because of all the horeeebul Engrishee. (And dude, not everyone at Harvard dresses in V-neck sweaters over collared shirts. It’s Ivy League, not J.Crew.) I did like the movie My Little Bride, although that, of course, had a lot to do with “Korea’s Little Sister,” the adorable Moon Geun Young. He next appears as a chef in the upcoming drama Gourmet with actress Nam Sang Mi.

Sources: Newsen, My Daily

SONG OF THE DAY

Garina Project - “Shady Sky” [ zShare download ]

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Woo Hee Jin isn’t one of the highest-profile actors around, despite having worked steadily over the span of her career, which is pretty long given that she’s been around more than fifteen years and she’s only thirty-two.

She appeared on the variety-talk program Yashimmanman on the 29th and talked a bit about her career and her relationship with fellow actor Lee Sung Yong, whom she met while working on a morning drama together.

She’s been pretty forthcoming about their relationship, which is generally not the case for most celebrity couples, although she admits they weren’t quite so open in their early days of dating. She revealed that she’d found herself telling “the lie that celebrities say the most.”

That, then, would be the answer given to the perpetual question, “Are you dating?” The “most-told lie” uttered in response was, naturally: “Oh, we’re just friends.” (More specifically, “We’re just close in an oppa-dongsaeng way.”)

Heh. We always figured that was the case, but nobody ever honestly admitted it. Donghae* lovers, fantasize away. (Although I think Bikyo** fans are really reaching.)

* That would be shippers of Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae, leads of the drama My Girl,
** and shippers of Bi (Rain) and Song Hye Gyo, from their romantic pairing in Full House.

All I know is, Woo Hee Jin sure has aged well. Granted, at thirty-two she’s still in her prime, but it seems like forever ago that she was young Yuri in one of my favorite early kdramas, Feelings — one of the original trendy dramas that aired in 1994 and starred a very young and hot new actor, Lee Jung Jae. (FYI, With S2 subbed this drama as a special side project, which I’ve written about here.)

Source: Osen

 
SONG(s) OF THE DAY

Shinhwa - “Soulmate” & “Missing You.” I figured I’d post a Shinhwa song for all y’all who didn’t know much about them in the Minwoo post below. Like I said, I go back and forth on whether I like Shinhwa’s music or not. Some of their songs are okay (I tend to like their ballads), while most of the other stuff I find overprocessed. (Particularly the old stuff, which was a lot lighter and jokier — “eusha eusha” anyone?) I definitely agree that their appeal comes only partly from their music, and partly from the personalities and interactions of the members, which is something they’ve made remarkably good use of — marketing themselves as personalities above and beyond the “Shinhwa” brand. I don’t know that any other band has been able to do so with anywhere near that level of success. Certainly not the current boy- and girl-banders, which have a few popular leads and some others forgotten on the sidelines. Anyway, I have two favorite Shinhwa songs, and rather than decide which to post, I’m throwing ‘em both up here. Both are from their sixth album (of eight, not including all those solo/side projects), which is also the one I like best.
“Soulmate” [ zShare download ]
“Missing You” [ zShare download ]

 
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