Spoke a bit too soon. Now pics are out of Eric, 29, reporting for duty with his newly shaven hair and addressing fans and press.
He begins his four-week training here in Nonsan. South Chungcheong Province, October 9.
Shinhwa rapper and actor Eric (Que Sera Sera, Strongest Chil Woo) is headed off to do his military duty tomorrow! (Or today, in Korea — October 9 being the big day.)
Although we’ve been hearing for a while about all the Shinhwa guys’ plans to enlist this year, Eric is the first to go. As you may know, Eric used to live in the United States, attending high school (I believe) in Santa Monica. As Shinhwa took off in the late 1990s and his career along with it, Eric gave up his U.S. citizenship, which makes him subject to mandatory Korean military enlistment.
However, given an injury sustained on the set of MBC’s drama Wolf in 2006, Eric will be assigned to a desk job. The drama had been cancelled due to an accident in which a stunt went awry and a stunt car crashed. He injured his ankle and hip and spent a month in the hospital in recovery.
No doubt his Shinhwa brethren will be following shortly. After ten years together, what will the entertainment landscape be without the Shinhwa boys? Er, men? Er, man-boys?
Via Star News
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Okay, I think I’m done posting pics of stars visiting Lee Eon’s funeral room. If more information comes to light, I’m on it, but until then we’re just going to be getting photos of grieving folks, which is probably gratuitous.
I know it sounds hypocritical for me to dislike the photos and then post them. However, I do think it’s a matter of interest — just up to a point. When it starts feeling gratuitous, I step back.
Below are Strongest Chil Woo co-stars Eric, Gu Hye-sun, and Kim Byul. More pics beyond the jump.
Celebrities pay their respects >>
As previously reported, actor Lee Eon’s sudden death early on the morning of August 21 has proved a shock to the entertainment community.
Celebrities came garbed in funeral blacks to pay their respects to their deceased colleague/co-star/friend at the mortuary area in the hospital where the deceased’s body is being kept until the funeral service. Yoon Eun-hye arrived in tears at Seoul’s Soon Chun Hyang University Hospital, as did fellow Coffee Prince co-star Kim Jae-wook, who appears to still be stunned, reportedly sobbing as he kept his face hidden behind his hair. (Pics of the stars, and in particular Kim Jae-wook, make me feel uncomfortably voyeuristic; I admit to an interest in seeing pics, but not when they are clearly intrusive in such a raw moment.)
His co-star from drama Strongest Chil Woo, actor Yoo Ah-in, also showed up, grim-faced. If you’re wondering why certain people haven’t yet paid their respects, I’m sure they’ll be making their way to the funeral area as they learn about the accident today. I haven’t seen pics of the rest of his Chil Woo castmates, but apparently they were among the earliest to receive word. Eric received the phone call at 3am and headed directly to the hospital, along with cast and crew members, including Gu Hye-sun and PD Park Man-young.
Yoon Eun-hye with her party; Yoo Ah-in
Others who came by were former co-star Ryu Deok-hwan, and supermodel Park Dool-seon. (She is one of the main stars of modeling reality show I Am a Model, which Lee Eon was involved with; he had also reportedly dated supermodel Jang Yoon-joo, one of Park Dool-seon’s colleagues.)
His mother understandably was in a huge state of shock, and apparently still in denial; she resisted being led to the funeral room, wanting to go to a hospital room instead, as though unable to digest the truth.
Also, a report was issued contradicting early beliefs that the accident occurred on Lee Eon’s way home after the Chil Woo wrap party. A new report suggests that Lee Eon had already arrived home, then left again, after which he was in the accident. Some sources speculate that he had been on the way to the club where he had worked as a DJ. I’m sure these details will be sorted out in due time.
As to questions of his sobriety at the time of his death, police have stated that tests will be conducted to determine whether he was drunk, but will not have the results for approximately a week. Lee Eon is, however, reported to not be much of a drinker.
PD Lee Yoon-jung, who’d directed Lee Eon in Coffee Prince, also shared her words of grief, saying, “I don’t know what to say. I plan to pay my respects tonight. Lee Eon had a special passion for acting and was always a source of support for staff on the film set. He was a good person.”
The funeral service is planned for August 23. Other details as yet unconfirmed.
Kim Jae-wook, Park Dool-seon, Ilac
Via Yonhap News, Newsen
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Ah, another final episode, another drama wrapped.
Let’s be honest: Strongest Chil Woo isn’t a great show. It’s probably not even a good one. But it has been often entertaining and despite its recent darker turns, I was holding out hope that the finale would see a return to lighter, goofier times. In that, I’m pretty satisfied. The resolution we’re given is hopeful without being too cartoony, and as far as last episodes go, it did the job.
But let’s get on with the show…
SONG OF THE DAY
Strongest Chil Woo OST - “내가 달려갈께” (I’ll run) by Lazybone [ Download ]
STRONGEST CHIL WOO Episode 20 (Final) >>
