After acting for ten years, Yoo Ji-tae is taking on his debut drama role. Despite his many film roles (Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Ditto, Hwang Jini, Attack the Gas Station) and his additional career as filmmaker, remarkably Yoo has never done a television series before. While we see many a star go from television to film, it’s unusual for such a big name actor to go from an entirely film career to a television one. Perhaps we owe this move to his suitably high-profile co-star, Choi Ji-woo.

He takes on the part of a university instructor who falls in love with a famous movie star (Choi) in SBS’s December drama A Star’s Lover [스타의 연인] . (Let me tell ya, they make one good-looking — and tall — couple.)

(Looks like this is the drama formerly called Lovers in Asuka before it was then changed to Oh My Goddess, which has now changed its moniker once again. Third time’s the charm? Yeesh, just pick one already — especially considering how none of the titles is really remarkably better than the others.)

Yoo’s character is highly educated but has a somewhat difficult personality, part-time lecturing while aspiring to be a novelist. Lest you think this is another Notting Hill, the story is purported to be “a realistic love story” and departs from the potential Cinderella-story aspect of the premise.

The drama starts filming later this week, shooting on location in Japan, and is aiming for an end-of-year broadcast.

Via E Daily

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I’m actually liking the side characters more as we progress… Don’t get me wrong, the main relationship is the whole point of this drama, but I’m warming up to Kyung-hwan, and even — surprisingly — Kang-hyun’s mother. Maybe I just like immature characters?

SONG OF THE DAY

Kim Yeon-woo – “이미 넌 고마운 사람” (Already thankful to you)
[ Download ]

LOVE & MARRIAGE Episode 10 >>

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Talk about shooting to fame. Kim Jae-wook is still a relative newbie, currently acting in Kingdom of the Wind after breaking out as “Waffle Sun-ki” in last year’s Coffee Prince, but already he’s had his first overseas fanmeeting.

On September 27 in Tokyo, he met his Japanese fans for his Kim Jae-wook’s 1st Japan Fan Meeting. He shared anecdotes about his past and how he got his start in show biz:

“I grew up in Japan until I was 7 years old, then returned to Korea. I started out performing in a band, but when I was 17, I started to model. In 2002, I debuted in the role of a member of an indie band and learned the difficulties of theater. Afterward, I quit modeling and concentrated on my studies as a vocal major at music college.”

After graduation, he auditioned for and won the part in Coffee Prince. However, he said, “At first I had no idea I’d get this much attention.” The shooting atmosphere was positive, and “Even when we weren’t filming, we’d all go out to eat or drink together, and everyone got along. We’re still friends now.”

More Kim Jae-wook details from the fanmeet >>

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Nine members of the entertainment-world service organization “Tasamo” [따사모, which is short for "Gathering of Warm-Hearted People"] held an event on the 29th in the name of building relationships with the Social Welfare Society. The organization also donated 4 million won’s worth of educational materials for disabled children, including touch plasma monitors.

The members of the organization who attended were “Tasamo” president Lee Kyung-ho and Kim Jung-eun, who is currently acting as promotional representative for the Social Welfare Society, along with Kim Won-hee (Marrying the Mafia 3), Kim Yumi (Return), Ahn Jae-wook (I Love You), Eugene (Three Dads, One Mom), Park Chul (Quiz King), Yoon Da-hoon (Unstoppable Wedding), and Jung Sun-kyung (Catch a Kangnam Mother).

More photos from the event >>

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“Barbie Doll” Han Chae-young is taking the lead in a Korea-New Zealand co-production, Soul Mate, to be directed by New Zealander Scott Reynolds (When Strangers Appear).

Backed by New Zealand production company Eyeworks Touchdown and a Korean film house, Soul Mate is a horror movie telling the story of an Asian woman living in New Zealand, who becomes entangled with ghosts and dead spirits. The film will be entirely English-language, which Han’s management feels will open the possibility of aiding her toward Hollywood. Let’s not put the cart before the horse, fellas. Han Chae-young did live in the States and speaks English, but still has a very thick accent and limited fluency, from what I can see in interviews.

Reynolds plans to be in attendance at the upcoming Pusan International Film Festival, which we’ll be hearing a lot about this week, I can assure you.

Via Yonhap News

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