It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, huh?

• Newlywed Park Eun-hye is returning to work following a recent miscarriage of what would have been her “honeymoon baby” (she wed in April). She plans to attend the upcoming Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), which screens her film Night and Day.
• Speaking of which, Kim Rae-won (Gourmet) and Han Eun-jung (Lawyers of Korea) will take a particular place on Wednesday’s opening-night red carpet at PIFF, as brand models for the festival’s sponsor, L’Oreal Paris.
• Song Il-kook had his day in court and won; the reporter who accused him of assault (whom he countersued for false accusations) has been sentenced to a year’s imprisonment. Ouch. We may never know the truth of whether he struck her as claimed, but a year in the slammer seems harsh. Well, that’s what happens when you go up against a rich actor with powerful connections.
• Sigh. Things are hard enough for Ahn Jae-hwan’s widow Jung Sun-hee, whose husband killed himself over large amounts of debt, and has endured accusations of kidnapping Ahn by his sister. She underwent an additional round of police questioning, spending four hours at the police station on the 29th. Jung roundly denies Ms. Ahn’s claims, and also denies rumors that she’s heading overseas for rest (which doesn’t sound like a bad idea, actually — the press was all over her collapses at Ahn’s funeral, and she again collapsed after emerging from the police station).
• I don’t think many people outside of Korea are watching cable drama Chosun Police [조선과학수사대 별순검], but the MBC Dramanet fusion sageuk gained a following as a “Chosun-era CSI” and is now set to launch its season 2. The production press conference was on the 29th, featuring lead actor Lee Jong-hyuk, who admitted he’d purposely avoided watching Season 1; he wanted to differentiate his character from its original actor, Ryu Seung-ryong.
• Kim Min-jung (26, of New Heart) has been cast in the lead of MBC’s drama 2009 Foreign Baseball Team, which was originally a hit manhwa in the ’80s. Actors Yoon Tae-young (Legend’s Hogae), Park Sung-min (Legend’s Saryang), Park Jung-hak (Kingdom of the Wind), Song Ah-young (Moon Hee), and Kim Sun-kyung (Legend’s Lady Yeon) are also cast. There’s a whole lotta Legend there. It should air sometime next year.
• After spending most of his recent energies trying to make a dent in the international film scene, Rain is back to kpop after two years away with his fifth album. He’s announced that his title track will be a dance song, followed by a ballad, to go on sale in October. Rain, here’s a fundamental rule of showbiz: Show, not tell. We’re happy to welcome ya back if your work is good, but g/d I’m sick of hearing so much about it.

 
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Tags: Ahn Jae-hwan, bad deeds, film festivals, Han Eun-jung, Jung Sun-hee, Kim Min-jung, Kim Rae-won, Lee Jong-hyuk, news bites, Park Eun-hye, Rain, Song Il-kook

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 12 Comments →

According to the Seoul Central District Court, the Korea Music Copyright Association received a request from an American songwriter that sales be stopped for Jang Nara’s sixth album “Dream of Asia.” She’s charged with infringing on copyright by recording a song without permission, “Mirage” [신기루], for which she also recorded its English version, “If You Ask Me To” (listen below).

Korean version “Mirage”:

Engrish version “If You Ask Me To”:

The written application states: “The producers used the song on the sixth album without consent of the copyright holders, and the American songwriter has clearly stated never giving permission… This is a clear act of copyright infringement.” The application demanded that the album be pulled from online music services, and the recording cease production and sales.

Bad Korea! We all know you rip off artists all the time, but now you’re finally starting to get called on it legally. First Hyori, now this? Maybe kpop would be better if you started writing your own songs. (Then again, maybe not.)

Via Yonhap News

Tags: bad deeds, Jang Nara, kpop, lawsuits

Filed under: Kpop News by javabeans - 24 Comments →

Jumong and Lobbyist actor Song Il Kook is being charged with violent assault of a female reporter.

Denials and allegations have been flung back and forth — he hit her, no he didn’t, he never laid a finger on her — and the actor’s side is preparing to countersue.

The alleged incident occurred a week ago on the 17th, in front of his home. According to the plaintiff Ms. Kim, a reporter for a monthly magazine, she’d been waiting alone in her car near his home, intending to request an interview about his upcoming wedding (which was announced recently). She got out of the car while talking on her cell phone, and reached out to hold the actor’s right arm. He shook her off, striking her in the face, and broke one front tooth while shaking loose three others.

Naturally, the actor is denying the charge. He claims to never have touched her at all, breaking her tooth through sheer mindpower instead (kidding! — but you knew that). Song says the charges are groundless and intends to sue her back for libel.

The two sides tell such differing stories that a full police and legal investigation is inevitable. At this point, more details aren’t forthcoming, since both sides have lawyered up and are being careful about answering questions.

It’s hard to tell what’s truth and what’s fiction — or, at the very least, exaggeration — in cases like this. For instance, it’s possible he hit her accidentally (as a few papers suggest), in which case I doubt people would blame him — but then why say he never touched her? And I doubt a reporter would deliberately break her own teeth, but just because it’s improbable doesn’t make it impossible.

So I’ll stick to saying: Paparazzi suck. Reporters who harass suck. And men who hit women really suck.

Via Go News, Mk.co.kr

SONG OF THE DAY

Misty Rain - “Wanna Be” [ zShare download ]

Tags: bad deeds, lawsuits, Song Il-kook

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 24 Comments →

Ha! Granted, Newsis as a source can be a bit iffy, but it’s just too funny:

Two popular actresses were taken to the police station and charged with assault after a hair-pulling brawl in a bathroom.

Police revealed on the 17th that two actresses, Ms. A (38) and Ms. B (36), had been arrested and taken to the Seoul Kangnam Police Station after a dispute over using the restroom erupted into hair-yanking and physical violence.

The two parties had clashed on the 21st of last month at around 8:40 a.m. at a certain bar around the Nohyundong neighborhood of Kangnam, when Ms. A demanded that Ms. B, who was using the restroom before her, hurry up and exit, which led to an argument and grabbing of each other’s hair.

However, the two parties didn’t want to press charges against the other and the police deemed no cause for arraignment as the two came to a mutual agreement.

Let us consider the multiple ways this is funny:

• Nothing against thirtysomething females in general, but the age-to-juvenile-behavior ratio here is comically high. Ajummas fighting like teenagers!
• Veiled references to probably-B-list (or lower) actresses!
• At a bar or similar establishment at 8 in the morning!
• Grabbing of hair. Reinforcing clichés everywhere!
• Fighting over the bathroom. Not even something equally stupid but more apt to inflame egos, like a cheating boyfriend, or wearing the same dress to the same event, or, like, calling the other a sluthag or whorebot or what have you.

Via Naver (from Newsis)

SONG OF THE DAY

Lyn - “Party Girl” [ zShare download ]

Tags: bad deeds

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 21 Comments →

This is a bit of a controversial topic, since the issue of Korea’s mandatory military service always ruffles feathers, including those of people who are wholly unaffected by the law just as much as those who are. Like myself; I’m not a Korean male citizen, so I feel a need to be careful with my opinion, not out of fear of reprisal but out of respect for people who actually have to fulfill their “civic obligation.”

Back in 2003, singer Psy had qualified for special exemption, meaning he still had to perform his military service but in a different capacity, in a program that allowed him to stay out of regular active service. [Insert requisite outrage at celebrity special treatment here.] But after he had “served” 35 months and nearly completed his program by November 2005, it was discovered that he hadn’t quite actually done much participating in the program, which provoked massive public outrage. He’d already been given special status in a less-rigorous program (working a desk job), and on top of that, he hadn’t even done THAT properly?

His exemption was stripped and he had to face re-enlistment, this time to complete nearly two more years of regular active duty. Psy appealed, and lost his suit last week when it was judged that he “does not have sufficient grounds to qualify for exemption from service.” Today (the 17th), Psy re-enters service.

SONG OF THE DAY

Clazziquai - “Why.” Clazziquai’s just released their 3.5 album (the half being that it’s an album containing remixes of previously released tracks, like “Love Mode” and “Lover Boy,” as well as a few new ones). The album’s a little too poppy dancetronica for me — I prefer their mellower, trip-hoppy groove stuff — but it’s Clazziquai, so I can’t complain. [ zShare download ]

But dude, what about those OTHER draft-dodgers?? >>

Tags: army duty, bad deeds

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 17 Comments →