Kim Byul changes her name, joins Ghost
by javabeans
Here’s another addition to the cyber-investigation drama Ghost, but more interesting than the actual casting, in my opinion, is the news that actress Kim Byul (the cast addition) has changed her name. It seems a strange choice to go from Kim Byul to her new name, Song Ha-yoon, since the former seems more striking and the latter more ordinary. (Neither stage name is her real name, which is Kim Mi-sun.)
In any case, she joins So Ji-sub, Lee Yeon-hee, and Eom Ki-joon in the SBS drama set to follow Rooftop Prince. She’ll play a rookie reporter with little experience and no sources but keen observational skills, and becomes “an important key” in unraveling the mystery that drives the drama. Given that this is the show produced by the Sign team, I’m expecting a similar mix of procedural, thriller, and science-y elements. Sign didn’t do it for me, but I do think the cyber/techie element is fresher in dramaland than the medical procedural, so there’s that.
Kim Byul—er, Song Ha-yoon—has had some leading and supporting roles, if you’ve seen the recent Lee Seon-kyun and Kim Min-hee mystery film Helpless, or the action-melo film Flight with Kim Bum, or the goofy Zorro-meets-Joseon fusion sageuk Strongest Chil-woo. I first saw her in Clazziquai’s music video for “Sweety” way back in 2004 (watch below), alongside Lee Jun-ki. She was adorable and had, I thought, a lot of charisma.
But although she’s one of those actresses I’ve always thought would hit it big(ger), she never quite made the leap from B-list material or supporting role status. There are a lot of actresses who fall into that trap, but she’s got a particular screen presence and a bubbly charm that I thought would take her farther; she was particularly strong in Taereung National Village. I suppose that’s the entire point behind the name change, though, and hopefully she’ll have better success with the new one.
Via Newsen
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Tags: Kim Byul, Song Ha-yoon
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1 canxi
May 6, 2012 at 1:14 PM
Oh I didn't recognize her until you mentioned "Flight". Now I do. I agree, Kim Byul is much more striking..I wonder why she decided to change it as it isn't even her real name. Maybe she wants to seem brand new?
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2 diorama
May 6, 2012 at 1:23 PM
She was frankly unforgettable in Taereung National Village, and I've been waiting for her to get another good drama role since then. Woot!
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3 kdramafan
May 6, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Hi JB.
I don't get the name change.
I do miss Clazziquai and Alex.
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Hipployta
May 7, 2012 at 8:05 PM
Alex and Horan just released a new single
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4 lime9
May 6, 2012 at 1:42 PM
loved her in baby and i. her character was so quirky!
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5 danna
May 6, 2012 at 2:37 PM
I've been hoping to see her make it big for a while now...loved her in Taerang National Village and Baby and Me
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danna
May 6, 2012 at 2:43 PM
I'm beginning to think that the supporting cast might steal the show here, we've got hee, Eom Ki Joon and Daniel Choi
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6 bd
May 6, 2012 at 3:25 PM
Haven't seen the actresss formerly known as Kim Byul so can't comment on her acting (she seems pretty enough, at least in the above photo) and whether she is deserving of bigger roles.
Here are some actresses who I think are deserving of bigger/lead roles.
Park Ha sun - absolutely dazzling in "Dong Yi" even tho she played a role that was quite reserved as the queen; clearly outshone Han Hyo joo in the lead role. Also doesn't hurt that PHS is absolutely gorgeous, but she is still young (and yet can portray great maturity), so she may just very well get there.
Han Da min - has had lesser supporting roles in "Coffee Prince" (the girl Ha Rim ends up dating) and "Dong Yi" but can't seem to get the break (last credited role listed is DY).
Han Ye in - played the annoying/bratty sister in "Coffee Prince" and thought she played that part to perfection. She seems to get a steady stream of work but in lesser supporting roles (and not as the 2nd lead actress or the female "villain").
Kim Ri na - played the rival love interest in "Hong Gil Dong" and basically was the best part of an otherwise subpar adventure saeguk. Absolutely blew Sung Yuri away in the acting dept. and is also very pretty, albeit with a more unique look. Doesn't seem to have done anything since 2009.
Meanwhile actresses like Yoon In na (of "Secret Garden" and "The Greatest Love" fame) have hot it fairly big who I think haven't shown much in the acting dept., nor are particularly dazzling to look at.
Unfortunately, it takes a bit of luck in being cast in a popular (altho not necessarily a good) drama, usually one that caters to younger viewers, in order to get that "bump" in one's career.
Yoon Eun hye hit it pretty much right from the start with "Goong" and then followed it up with "Coffee Prince" (even if the rest of her dramas weren't as successful), which has put her in demand for lead roles even if her acting has been spotty (the highpoint being "CP").
Otoh, the actress who played YEH's rival in "Lie To Me", Hong Soo hyun, had to struggle thru years of bit parts until she landed the fairly major role in "LTM", which despite it being horribly written, didn't prevent HSG from landing the role in "The Princess' Man" - in which her highly praised portrayal seems to have finally kicked her career into a higher gear at a relatively late stage (I had no idea who HSH was at the time, but know I recognize her from one of her early bit roles, when she was just 20, and thought she was really cute).
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phoenixash
May 6, 2012 at 5:07 PM
Did I read you right when you said that Yoon Eun Hye's acting wasn't very good in Coffee Prince? In my opinion, she really brought the charm and complexity to her character. I thought she was the best thing about the show (other than maybe the soundtrack). I didn't think the two supporting CP actresses you mentioned were very memorable, but maybe they were better in a different show I haven't seen.
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bd
May 6, 2012 at 8:27 PM
I agree about YEH's portrayal in "CP" (aside from maybe the 1st few eps) - she was quite wonderful in it as Eun-chan.
Unfortunately, YEH hasn't been able to recapture that magic.
I think YEH is a fairly limited actress (right now) - who needs the right script (and depth of character) and a PD who know how to pull a performance out of her (I think too many PDs want YEH to "act cute", such as in "Goong" and "LTM" which comes across a bit fake; as herself, YEH is naturally cute, as when she was on "X-Man").
Also agree that the soundtrack was great (only other soundtrack I liked as much was the one for "My Princess" - Taru, Dalmoon, Lee Tzsche, etc.), but Gong Yoo also really opened my eyes to his acting ability (before, I didn't take him seriously b/c he just had crappy roles in films like "My Tutor Friend" and "Spy Girl").
Also think the actors who played the other "Princes" were all great, as well as the actress who played the grandma.
Han Da min really didn't have much to do in "CP" (except look pretty), but I though Han Ye in played the sister to perfection.
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Javabeans
May 6, 2012 at 5:19 PM
I won't argue your point, but I'll add a few clarifications to your comments:
Han Da-min was in Giant. Kim Ri-na has done theater from 2010 to 2012 (Don Quixote). Han Ye-in changed her name to Yoon Young-ah and was in Dream High.
I do think some of these underused actresses grew into their talents, as with Hong Soo-hyun, who was legitimately terrible in some of her earlier roles. She's become a solid actress, but she had to earn it.
Park Ha-sun's gonna get there. She's well on her way.
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bd
May 6, 2012 at 8:32 PM
JB - Thanks for the updates (the databases tend not to be complete), but I gather HDM's role in "Giant" and HYI/YYA's role in "Dream High" were still of the more minor type (not the secondary lead or even the main supporting characters?).
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Crysalide
May 6, 2012 at 7:43 PM
I wanna add Im Joo Eun that hasn't got a break and which i would to see as a lead role. Loved her in What's Up and I don't why did she took the quirky fren in Wild Romance.
I also like to see Seo Ji Hye of49 Days step it up. She has potrayed first and second leads alternately.
Lee Min Jung is also another actress that has graduated from second lead / sidekick to lead material at a later part of her carreer. I remember her in "Who are you" as the handicap fren of Go Ara and I though she look as young as GAR. I'm really happy for her.
And love all High Kick actresses sans Krystal. Hope they have a good future ahead like all the High Kick girls predecessor (Park Min Young, Shin Se Kyung & Hwang Jeung Eum and yeah Yoo In Na).
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bd
May 6, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Kind of weird that LMJ had to play the "sidekick" to Go Ara - who hasn't exactly had the most successful acting career even if she is a known name/face.
I 1st took note of LMJ when she started to get the press and CF offers after "Boys Over Flowers", thought she was pretty, but really didn't catch my eye.
Finally saw LMJ in something when she appeared on RM and then in "Cyrano Agency" (took me forever to get thru the 1st two-thirds of the film, but overall, liked it at the end), and again, thought she was pretty, but not in any standout way. But then saw her in an interview and she was totally captivating.
Also felt the same way about fellow "Boys" alum Kim So-eun; only saw her in press/news photos and thought she was cute, but didn't stand out to me - that is until I finally got around to seeing her in something - "The Man Who Can't Get Married/He Who Can't Marry") and she really has an on-screen presence - her eyes really light up when she smiles.
Btw, "TMWCGM" is one of the best rom-coms I have seen; a bit quirky since Ji Jin hee plays an odd-ball characters, but all-so funny and charming.
Wasn't a ratings hit, but was totally deserving - I guess it hadn't have the stereotypical characters/scenarios that are so prevalent in K-dramas, but that's what made it so great.
Also watched KSE in" Empress Cheonchu/The Iron Empress" where she plays the lead in her younger years and KSE definitely has the talent to take on roles with more depth (still needs to continue to develop, but she has the talent).
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jyyjc
May 6, 2012 at 10:34 PM
Omg thanks for mentioning Im jooeun, when is that girl gonna get her big break? I think she has such a strong screen presence, there's just this...aura about her.
And Lee minjung too, she's had some lead roles but I feel like she needs a project that will just skyrocket her, she's popular but none of the roles I've watched her in does it for her, except maybe Smile You. Hopefully the upcoming Hong sisters drama will be it.
I'd also like to see Jung somin make it big. After Standby, please give her a drama that will help her make it big drama gods.
And this is totally for shallow reasons, but Jo boa from sut up flower boyband is so pretty to look at so please be in more dramas jo boa. May I add that her acting isn't totally cringeworthy like some other pretty faces so that's a plus.
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alua
May 7, 2012 at 1:20 AM
Am with everyone on Im Joo Eun. Loved her in the two things I saw - but she's really only just starting out, isn't she? And neither WR nor WU were top drama of the year (although I enjoyed both a lot). Hopefully, she'll get her breakthrough - I would definitely like to see her a in a range of roles that challenge her, even in some films.
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Gabby
May 8, 2012 at 8:50 PM
Aw, I actually liked Krystal. Was it really her acting you hated or the character? Because she was, by far, given the worst material to work with (and she was a character in the main family to boot!) - there was basically NOTHING interesting, redemptive, or deep to her character as written - but managed to make Soojung, who was supposed to be insufferable and thoroughly unlikable (that's the only explanation I can think of for the writers' characterization of her), more amusing and harmless in her self-centeredness than anything else, IMO. I'm still interested to see what she can do - at least more than other SM actresses like Go Ara.
But I'm only halfway through the series, so we'll see.
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Jo
May 6, 2012 at 8:51 PM
I think Im Joo Eun is definately an under appreciated actress (HON, Bad Romance).
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7 will work for soju
May 6, 2012 at 5:53 PM
I loved her in Taereung National Village. It helped that she had a great character to play - Maru was such a punk! And she and Lee Min-ki were just too adorable for words together.
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8 houstontwin
May 6, 2012 at 6:56 PM
The video was charming!
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9 Cam
May 6, 2012 at 7:23 PM
Oh! I barely recognized her (as a actress) in that move "Baby and Me" with Jang Geun Seok & she was very adorable! Plus, I've never watched her in any dramas....but, finally, she finally got her role in this drama "Ghost" ~ Bravo Bravo! :)
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10 adricia
May 6, 2012 at 11:59 PM
Goo Hara doppleganger?!
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kopytko
May 7, 2012 at 12:41 AM
No. She doesn't look like an alien (huge-huge eyes and pointy chin I mean;P).
And she's been around for a longer time, so it just seems wrong calling her an idol-lookalike.
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11 alua
May 7, 2012 at 1:26 AM
Totally don't get the name change. Isn't that just going to confuse people? And doesn't she get confused by her different identities? Is that just for the credits or what do people call her on the set now? *LOL*
Haven't seen her in anything... well, I watched bits of "Baby and I" but couldn't stand to watch the whole movie. Just didn't click with me (her character included). Although the impression I did get from that, was that one could easily typecast into similar roles...
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12 QT
May 7, 2012 at 3:44 AM
wasnt she the girl in Baby & Me the one with Jang Geun Suk?
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13 Jade Butterfly
May 8, 2012 at 3:16 AM
The only rationale for her name change is for a change of fortune/ luck in career & life . Asians do that to try to affect their fengshui . Or else , I dun see a reason to change fr a nice stage name to a random name wh isnt even her birth name . A Name specialist must have plotted her birth details & given her the name. Just sayin' .
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14 K
May 9, 2012 at 12:41 AM
Oh, the girl from Baby and Me! She was weird-looking there (she was extremely thin!) but I found her interesting. Though I've never seen her again.
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15 Jessica
June 19, 2012 at 7:02 AM
Late comment, but could she have changed her name for "luck" purposes?
I've heard this with several Chinese celebrities, so I'm not sure if Koreans have similar superstitions :)
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