It’s kind of unnerving how all the news right now is either Choi Jin-shil’s sudden death or the 13th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), and sometimes while looking through the news listings, it’s easy to confuse the two based on the thumbnail images. (Given the timing, as far as I can see, there were no overlaps in attendees — or at least, very few — between PIFF and Choi Jin-shil’s funeral viewing.)

October 2 saw the opening night to the nine-day festival; PIFF closes on October 10 and is the largest film festival in Korea, and one of the largest in Asia. Over the course of the week, more than 300 films will be screened from 60-plus countries.

Kim Rae-won and Han Eun-jung, above, came as brand models for PIFF sponsor L’Oreal. Other famous name actors showed up to the red carpet night; the opening film was Kazakhstan’s The Gift to Stalin, as well as the Hyun Bin & Lee Bo-young film I Am Happy.

PIFF’s red carpet >>

Tags: Cha Seung-won, Choi Jung-yoon, Choi Kang-hee, Eom Ji-won, Eugene, fashion, film festivals, Go Ara, Gong Hyo-jin, Han Eun-jung, Hyun Bin, Jang Dong-gun, Joo Ji-hoon, Jung Ryeo-won, JYP, Kang Hye-jung, Kim Ji-soo, Kim Jung-eun, Kim Rae-won, Kim So-yeon, Kim Sun-ah, Lee Bo-young, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Jung-jin, Lee Seon-kyun, Lee Wan, Lee Yeon-hee, Oh Ji-ho, Park Eun-hye, Park Hae-il, Park Jin-hee, Shin Hyun-joon, Shin Mina, Song Chang-eui, Yeh Ji-won

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Gong + Bae = Best friends 4-eva!

Bae Doo-na and Gong Hyo-jin, both known for their eclectic and fashion-forward style senses as well as their film and drama roles over the years, are also good pals and have been for the past decade. Now they’re showing their friendship in — what else? — a magazine photo spread.

The shoot for Nylon Korea magazine based itself on the concept “friendly neighbors,” which isn’t such a stretch given that the two actresses live in the same neighborhood and are neighbors in real life. As friends, they hang out, eat, shop, and listen to music together. They’ve also already displayed candid and self-shot pics of themselves together on their respective mini-homepages (see below).

Both debuted as models back in 1998, and it’s interesting to see how their careers have developed on somewhat parallel upward tracts. Among other roles, Bae Doo-na acted in 1999’s The Ring Virus, Take Care of My Cat (2001), Park Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, 2003 drama Country Princess, and hit it big(ger) with 2006’s The Host. Her latest project was the SBS drama How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor last summer.

Gong Hyo-jin started off in 1999’s Memento Mori, went on to 2001’s Volcano High and Emergency Measure 19 in 2002. She made a name for heself in the 2002 MBC drama Ruler of Your Own World, then went on to act with Rain in Sangdoo, Let’s Go To School (2003), with Gong Yoo in Hello My Teacher (2005), and with Jang Hyuk in last year’s lauded Thank You; her most recent project is comedy flick Crush and Blush co-starring Lee Jong-hyuk, which releases October 16.

The photo spread will be printed in Nylon’s October issue.

More photos and sel-cas of Bae and Gong >>

Tags: Bae Doo-na, Gong Hyo-jin

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Park Shi-yeon (recently of dark drama La Dolce Vita) takes on the role of a spy in the new movie Dachimawalee: Bye, Villain! Take the Express Train to Hell [다찌마와 리: 악인이여 지옥행 급행열차를 타라], a comedic action spy film which from all appearances looks like a period Bond flick by way of Mr. Bean.

The movie, directed by Ryu Seung-wan, also stars Im Won-hee (M, Le Grand Chef), Gong Hyo-jin (Thank You), Hwang Bora (Rainbow Romance), and Ryu Seung-beom (Radio Days, Family Ties), with Im as the titular top-secret spy Dachimawalee who takes on a sexy new partner (Park Shi-yeon). Naturally hijinks ensue.

The movie opens August 14.

Via Joy News

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Tags: Gong Hyo-jin, Hwang Bora, Im Won-hee, Park Shi-yeon, Ryu Seung-beom

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Vogue celebrates its 12 anniversary with a special spread featuring seven leading ladies styled as film (and TV) figures using the concept “Vogue Fashion Movie.”

Go Ara, above, takes on the Gossip Girl character of Serena van der Woodsen, played by Blake Lively.

Below, Kim Min-hee adopts the Edie Sedgwick look as portrayed by Sienna Miller in the movie Factory Girl; Su Ae dresses as Queen Elizabeth a la Cate Blanchett; Gong Hyo-jin follows Gong Li’s footsteps in Memoirs of a Geisha; Uhm Jung-hwa takes her moniker as Korea’s Madonna literally by taking on Madonna’s Truth or Dare image circa 1990; Seo In-young mimics Renee Zellweger’s Chicago look as Roxie Hart; and Jang Mi-hee styles herself after The Devil Wears Prada.

My vote for best styling goes to Kim Min-hee (here’s Sienna Miller as Edie Sedgwick, and the real-life Edie), though Uhm Jung-hwa’s pulled off her look pretty well, too (the hair! the scary cone bra!).

Tags: fashion, Go Ara, Gong Hyo-jin, Kim Min-hee, photo shoots, Seo In-young, Uhm Jung-hwa

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‘Cause I’m pretty sure Gong Hyo-jin is made up as a cat, yeah? In any case, stars pose with pets for the Vogue Korea “Fashion Pet” photo shoot celebrating the mag’s 12th anniversary.

Participants include Nam Gyuri, Lee Hyori, Kim Jung-eun, and Jo Seung-woo, pictured below. Other stars in the exhibition include Seo In-young, Chae Yeon, Chae Jung-ahn, Yoon Eun-hye, Han Chae-young, Lee Beom-soo, and members of DBSK and Super Junior.

The exhibition will be available for viewing at Gallery 1 in Cheongdamdong from July 22 through 26.

Nam Gyuri, Lee Hyori, Kim Jung-eun, Jo Seung-woo

Tags: fashion, Gong Hyo-jin, Jo Seung-woo, Kim Jung-eun, Lee Hyori, Nam Gyuri, photo shoots

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