Park Ki-woong joins the variety ranks with Beating Hearts
by javabeans
Park Ki-woong, doing variety? *braces ears for the chorus of squeals*
SBS is prepping a new variety program for fall titled Beating Hearts (the more literal translation is The Heart Beats, which rolls less smoothly off the tongue), and has rounded up a trio of men for its pilot program: Park Ki-woong, familiar dramaland teddy bear Lee Won-jong (Mandate of Heaven, Vampire Prosecutor), and Jo Dong-hyuk (Brain, Yacha).
Beating Hearts will be a “real variety” program that’ll follow the cast as they undergo the process of becoming firefighters. The poetic explanation for the show’s title is that through this process of sacrifice and endurance, they’ll learn to make their hearts race again.
That sounds a lot closer to the Real Men approach (where they dump a cast of celebrities into army life) than, say, the games and talk and funny stories of much of varietyland. And yes, I guess it was inevitable that we’d have more shows following in the mold after the success of Real Men. There’s a certain uniqueness with the army experience that you can’t quite replicate with any other profession, though, so there’s no guarantee that this will stir the same response.
Still, I like the guys they’ve picked so far and hope it does well. (Okay, I love Park Ki-woong and Lee Won-jong; I know little about Jo Dong-hyuk.) Park is a surprise pick for me because I never thought of him as a variety kind of guy—his real-life personality seems so reserved and serious from interviews—but I can see a quasi-docu format working for him. And Lee Won-jong just seems like he could turn anything into a barrel of laughs.
Beating Hearts will begin filming on August 13 and will premiere in September. There will be six cast members total, so they’ll be filling out the rest of the members soon.
Via No Cut News
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Tags: Lee Won-jong, Park Ki-woong
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1 Mystisith
August 3, 2013 at 12:12 PM
Awww. Not sure it's my kind of show but at least I can try when it starts!
Vampy buddy and Hot namja are interesting for me. I will leave Park Ki Woong for his admirers. ^^
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2 Ivoire
August 3, 2013 at 12:12 PM
Thank you for the news!
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3 Arhazivory
August 3, 2013 at 12:25 PM
Oh wow. I want to watch this.
These days I wish all variety shows were on KBS just because they upload everything on their KBSW YouTube channel. New shows only get me excited but sometimes the excitement fizzles because there are no subs. T_T
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4 Andrea
August 3, 2013 at 12:36 PM
I need a moment...
OHMYGOD PARK KI WOONG!
Okay, I'm breathing again. I'm actually surprised because well, like Javabeans said, he seems so serious in real life... But who cares, it will definitely be interesting to watch him in the variety world. I'm going to check this out.
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5 Jyyjc
August 3, 2013 at 12:39 PM
I have a hunch Jo donghyuk picked this show because it's not gonna be all about the funnies. I remember he made his first variety show experience some years back and he was very shy and awkward, dressed in dressy clothing among the idols and other more variety experienced guests who were wearing vacation appropriate clothing at a tropical location. I felt secondhand awkwardness for him.
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6 ryoko
August 3, 2013 at 1:00 PM
I admit it: I squealed just from reading the title. And then had to laugh foolishly at myself when I read JB's opening line. :) Don't know anything about the third guy, but Park Ki Woong and Teddy Bear ahjusshi? I will definitely be checking this show out.
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7 canxi
August 3, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Firefighters? Wow, that sounds intense, too, though. And like a family experience. I wouldn't be surprised if it was super touching.
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8 Mawiie
August 3, 2013 at 1:26 PM
Squeeee!
But... Isn't Park Ki Woong due to military service soon? :/
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zakin89
August 3, 2013 at 2:25 PM
Same reaction here^^
Same question here as well :D I thought he was due to enlist this year or were those reports false?
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Ash
August 3, 2013 at 2:58 PM
Me three. He's an '85er, and I thought there were rumblings of imminent enlistment back when he was finishing up Covertly, Grandly. Or am I just making things up?
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danna
August 3, 2013 at 3:36 PM
I was thinking the same as soon as I read the title...he's supposed to go early October
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anna
August 3, 2013 at 6:10 PM
Ah same question I posted below. It's not like this is a drama, it's a variety show. So if he's due for the army soon, then they'll have to replace him and all that. It seems weird.
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9 whilethemusiclasts
August 3, 2013 at 2:25 PM
*swoon*
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10 trotwood
August 3, 2013 at 3:28 PM
Is it okay if I am swooning over Lee Won-jong? I love him in everything. Even if I end up hating the show, I still love him. I sometimes worry though because he doesn't ever seem to take a real break. He must really love what he is doing.
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11 jshin
August 3, 2013 at 6:01 PM
Park Ki Woong seems reserved and serious? hahah that just funny because I had a different view of him. From what I've seen of him I thought he had a very bright, cute, & somewhat silly personality. We shall see on this show!
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12 anna
August 3, 2013 at 6:08 PM
Did he already complete his army duty? If not, such a weird project to pick up when he's already 28 and it should be any time now for his army service.
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The Real CZ
August 3, 2013 at 7:40 PM
This Soompi article from April states that his enlistment date is in October.
http://www.soompi.com/2013/04/05/park-ki-woong-of-bridal-mask-sets-enlistment-date/
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13 bluemoon
August 3, 2013 at 7:41 PM
I am so going to be watching this. I'm such a big Park Ki Woong fan.
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14 chickenwing
August 3, 2013 at 8:12 PM
Oh so Jo Dong Hyuk is his name! Remember seeing him in many old dramas as the resident villain and kinda dropped out my radar in recent years. I remember he joked in a dating variety show once that when he played the good guy in a show, ratings always sucked
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15 Lilian
August 3, 2013 at 10:36 PM
I don't know the third guy but it feels like Lee Won Jong can warm up to anyone .....just an impression he makes on me I guess. So he will be the chemistry maker I guess for the first few episodes at least
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16 redfox
August 4, 2013 at 12:26 AM
missed him SO. MUCH!!!
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17 Rachel
August 4, 2013 at 12:45 AM
I hope Park Ki Woong's enlistment comes and goes as quickly as possible. Can't wait to see more projects from him!
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18 Abbie
August 4, 2013 at 6:12 AM
Honestly, this sound a little boring. But, I'm all for Park Ki-woong in variety! I'd like to see him relax and let his hair down. And I love Lee Won-jong! Ever since I saw him on Vampire Prosecutor, I adore him. I'd love to see him in anything! He's so great! The other guy, Jo Dong-hyuk, I'm not familiar with, but hopefully, he's good at variety. I'm looking forward to seeing who the other members will be. I hope there is at least one woman, but if they're training to be firefighters, I won't mind if there isn't one. She'd have to be really tough to do that job!
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19 Immaculate Rockens
August 5, 2013 at 7:27 AM
Hi Park Ki am yo fan frm Africa n i really wanna follow prog hw can i watch it plizzzzzzz love u my idol
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20 Melmax
August 5, 2013 at 7:42 AM
Ooooh love all three!!! Can't wait!!!
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21 KCLKW
January 7, 2014 at 7:44 PM
I just finished watching the latest episode (aired on Jan. 7, 2014). I loved the show. The series have been proven to be absolutely moving, sincere and fun at the same time. What a transformation these six cast members have made from "entertainers" to very caring and capable firefighters. Of course, my favorite is Ki-Woong, a.k.a. the "scholarly one" and "kitty daddy" in the show. Hope you all check out the series.
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